Heaven Can Wait
by ishootstars
Summary: Summary Inside. R&R! LoganScottOC love triangle, X-Men universe where Jean never existed. Magneto has a cunning plan that might just tear everything apart...
1. New Life, New Start

**Chapter One: New Life, New Start**

_AN: So, I'm not really sure how to begin. This is my first fanfic, and hopefully, a good one. Basically, Jean never existed, and instead, there's a new OC character, Alex, who makes waves and stirs things up when she arrives at Xavier's Academy, but as always, there's hidden conflict going on.  
And, also, my main musical inspiration for this story is Coldplay, always Coldplay.  
Review please, :)_

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* * *

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Alex Woods yawned, stretching her arms up around her head and rubbing her tired eyes absently. She padded across the hall, finding the small table, through the bleary haze of her exhaustion. Still yawning, she rifled through her mail rapidly, as she raked a hand through her messy brown curls, trying to shake the heavy sleepy feeling from her head as she scanned the small assortment of envelopes in her hands. _Bills, bills, for Jake, junk mail, for Jake, bills… _She paused at the last letter, her fingertips lingering on the formal, thick paper, a tiny smile dissolving over her face.

A bold **X **had been stamped on the upper right corner, and the address was from Xavier's school for mutants, well known amongst the mutant community. Excitement fizzled through Alex's body, and she eagerly held the envelope in her hands, nibbling her lip in half anxiety half anticipation as she grabbed her phone, dialling automatically. She sighed impatiently, rocking back and forth on her heels; feeling instantly nervy.

"Hello?" Her brother's sleepy voice answered. Alex didn't even ask why he hadn't come home last night.

"_It's here!_" Alex squealed. She heard the answering laughter, and Jake's lazy reply. "Cool. Open it!" Her brother was her best friend, her confidante and the one person she trusted with her life. Alex didn't have any other family, apart from Jake, and hardly had any other friends, except her best friend Lissa. And Alex didn't even see Lissa a whole lot either, due to Lissa's new job at esteemed fashion magazine, _J'Adore. _All in all, Alex didn't have a lot of people she could truly depend on in her life._  
_

"I'm scared," Alex laughed nervously, her voice trembling slightly. "This could change everything, J." She said softly. Jake sighed. "Alex. You're amazing. I know when you open it, all your dreams, or whatever other cliché fits this moment, will come true. Open it." Alex heard a girl's voice grumble a sleepy complaint on the other end of the phone, and smirked. "Got another girl with you, Woods? Why don't you sleep at home, for once? Too busy with girls to hang out with your older sister?" She taunted teasingly. "Well yeah, you might want to take a page out of my book sometime, Alex, might do you some good. I'll call you back, okay? Open the letter." Jake laughed. Alex nodded, echoed a soft goodbye and was left with the letter and a long confronting silence.

"Alright, Alex; open it." Alex told herself, and sliding her finger underneath the flap, slid it open, scanning the words on the page that fell out, a huge smile spreading across her face as she reread the words she'd been eagerly awaiting for, "_we'd like to offer you the job"._

_

* * *

_

Xavier looked around at the small group of mutants surrounding him, a solemn expression on his face. Logan, Storm, Kurt, Hank, Warren, Rogue, Bobby, Kitty and Scott all huddled in the Professor's office, waiting for Xavier to begin the informal group meeting. "You gonna start talking sometime soon, baldy?" Logan mumbled irritably. Xavier gave Logan a reprimanding look before starting. "I know a lot of you have been wondering who is going to take the new Danger Room classes, as well as taking up the role of the newest member of the X-Men." Storm shared a curious glance with Kurt, who looked slightly confused. Kurt was the newest addition to the team, alongside Hank and Warren, and the three were still growing as a part of the X-Men and had yet to get used to things like Danger Room. The simple fact was, the Professor was recruiting more and more these days.

"Well, I'm pleased to inform you I've found somebody _very _suitable for the position, and recently I asked her to apply for the job. She confirmed right away and will be arriving tonight." The room erupted into chaos. Xavier lifted his withered hands, as the room fell into silence. "She is 23 years old, a very friendly and kind-hearted woman, and yes, she is a mutant." Underlying ripples of conversation continued going. "...And, she is powerful and strong enough to teach the danger room classes, _and _join the team of X-Men without problem, Logan." Xavier informed everyone, catching the dubious expression in Logan's dark eyes. Storm spoke up, her white hair striking against her curious blue eyes. "What abilities does she have?" The Professor smiled languidly. "Well, I'll leave her to tell you." Soft murmurs echoed around the room, excitement and surprise at the sudden news.

"You sound like you know her well," Hank commented thoughtfully, and Xavier nodded. "I do. I… helped her, you could say. She's gone through more than anyone should have to in their lives. She came to this school, I believe Scott knew her." Everyone's attention turned to Scott, who looked vaguely confused. "I knew her? There were a lot of people at Mutant High when I came here," Scott repeated quizzically, and the Professor simply smiled mysteriously. "You'll see."

* * *

Alex giggled, hugging her brother close. "I'll miss you! Come visit one day," She announced. "You'll do so well there, Alex." Jake said, grinning. "I'll miss you!" he ruffled Alex's hair playfully, before visibly sobering. "Are you going to tell them about…?" Alex shook her head violently, her happy expression fading slightly. "Only the professor knows." She sighed, and Jake nodded, before Lissa suddenly wrapped her in a huge, bone-crushing hug. "Um, you _better _call like, every day! Or Jake and I are gonna go over there and beat you up!" She said fiercely, and Alex laughed, before nodding. "Sadly enough, I don't doubt your ability to do that. I have to go, guys. I'll miss you, I love you!" She gave them both a quick hug before turning and walking away. "Have fun, freak!" Jake called teasingly, and Alex laughed, brushing a stray tear before getting ready to board her plane… and her new life.

* * *

Rogue slipped outside, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. "So. Excited about the new teacher?" She glanced up, smiling at Logan, who looked vaguely troubled. She shrugged casually in response to his question. "If she knew Scott well, she's probably some tight-ass," Logan muttered, and Rogue laughed. Everyone knew about Logan and Scott's rivalry, it was an unspoken yet incredibly obvious _thing_. "And you're not?" Rogue teased, and Logan gave Rogue a look, making Rogue laugh as she glanced around to avoid his stare. Rogue froze, seeing Bobby and Kitty leaning against the wall, talking and laughing. Kitty was pretty, sweet, and worse- she could touch Bobby, which she had been doing a lot of lately. Rogue's eyes scanned the way they were leaning in to hear each other through the noise of the school and the students bustling around, and felt fear strike up inside of her. Logan followed her line of gaze, and aghast, frowned. "Want me to beat him up?" He asked dryly, and Rogue punched Logan's arm lightly, rolling her eyes as she walked over cautiously, leaving Logan behind. Bobby lifted his eyes, meeting hers with a ready smile. "Rogue!" He greeted, slipping an arm casually around her shoulder and grabbing her fingers, which were safely trapped inside a long pair of gloves. Rogue forced a smile at Kitty, leaning into Bobby pointedly. "Hey Rogue," Kitty greeted, tying her dark hair in a ponytail quickly, and flashing her a neutral smile. "Hey." Rogue said distantly. "I'm going to go ask Storm and Kurt something," Kitty said suddenly, noticing Rogue's cold stare. "I'll come with you," Bobby said quickly, letting go of Rogue. "I'll see you later," He said to her, giving her a barely-there peck on the cheek, and Rogue watched as Bobby left, with Kitty, yet again.

* * *

He smiled, feeling cold delight seep down his spine as he turned, his eyes filled with anticipation. "You must be careful," He warned in his cool, calculating voice. She rolled his eyes, slinking towards him with a slow smirk. "Aren't I always, Eric?" She purred, her oddly bumpy dark blue skin peeling rapidly off of her and transforming slowly into a younger girl's body. "Hi, I'm Alice Watts, I'm a new student at Xavier's." She said in a high-pitched innocent voice, and Eric smiled as she quickly transformed back, her sapphire skin a sharp contrast against her ruby-red hair and icy emotionless topaz eyes. "Charles won't suspect a thing, as long as you keep continually injecting yourself with the Venom." Magneto murmured, staring at Mystique with delight. Mystique simply smiled slowly, nodding. 'Venom' was a lethal concoction of chemicals, that when injected into the bloodstream; protected the victim's mind. "This Alice you're posing as… her ability is a mental shield, incredibly strong. Charles will not suspect a thing. And not to worry, the girl's body is well hidden. We have her safely captive." Magneto added, pacing. Mystique watched as he walked around her, before he stopped, staring at her with piercing, solemn eyes. "Remember. You must stay silent and in the shadows. And then our mission can be accomplished." Magneto said softly; dangerously, and Mystique turned, a dangerous smile lighting up her face as her eyes flashed liquid gold.

* * *

Alex heard his voice and his friendly greeting before she saw him, and she turned, her eyes sparkling.

"Professor!" She leaned down to give him a warm hug, and he smiled, curving his arms around her in an almost fatherly manner. "I hope you don't mind that I came personally to pick you up," He added, and she shrugged happily. "It's great to see you again," She said enthusiastically. "Still the same old Alex, I see," Xavier commented, and Alex replied with one of her sunny smiles, as they began walking, Alex tugging her suitcases behind her. "Are you looking forward to joining us?" Alex turned, nodding thoughtfully. "Yeah, I'm just glad to be helping people like me, be a part of the infamous 'X-Men' and all that," She replied truthfully. Professor Xavier nodded slowly. "We're glad to have you with us." He said softly. "And how are you feeling about seeing Scott?" The Professor pressed, and Alex visibly hesitated. "Yes, I'm glad to see Scott again too." She said quietly, and met the Professor's inquiring eyes. "He… doesn't know, I suppose it will be a bit of a surprise." He supplied, and Alex nodded, smiling sadly as she continued walking bravely, trying not to recall the fragments of her past.

* * *

Logan sighed huffily, leaning back against one of the many towering bookshelves in the Professor's office. "I don't even know why we had to meet her straight from the airport anyway," He muttered irritably, ignoring the reprimanding look Storm was giving him. "She's probably tired from the flight. And it's not like this room is exactly the happiest place right now." He added sarcastically, rolling his eyes. The tension between Rogue, Kitty and Bobby could be cut with a knife, Storm looked tense- even for her -, and Scott was trying to explain the details of Danger Room to Kurt and failing miserably. "I mean, serious-" Logan's complaining cut off sharply when he looked up at met a pair of big, bright, crystal azure eyes, and immediately intrigued, Logan found he couldn't quite look away, because masked behind those eyes was a wall of hidden sadness and suffering that seized Logan's attention immediately. The room fell into silence as they stared at the new arrival. The first thought that registered through Logan's mind was, _she's gorgeous. _Because she was- she had wavy chocolate brown sun-streaked hair which was tied loosely in a ponytail, that complimented her smoky eyes and her high cheekbones, and she was petite, slender yet curvy with a body that appealed to Logan, definitely. Her dainty face stretched into a heart-breaking smile as she looked around the room, and her smile faltered as she stared at something, looking temporarily breathless, lost amongst a small sea of people. She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but the words that came out weren't hers. They were Scott's.

"_Alex?" _


	2. Reunions Aren't Always Sweet

**Chapter Two: Reunions Aren't Always Sweet**

Scott blinked furiously, unable to comprehend the sight in front of him. She had changed from when he had last seen her, she had filled out elegantly, transformed into an adult, a woman- and she was even more beautiful now. She wore that familiar smile and her eyes sparkled like they always had. But he couldn't register that, all he could think was that she was here, _and that she was the new teacher at Xavier's._

How was this possible? She suddenly turned to look at him, and her whole face expression changed, and a million emotions flickered over her face, but not one of them was surprise.

"_Alex?" _He asked, suddenly aware his voice sounded stunned and a bit strained. "Alex?" He repeated, aware of how shocked he sounded. "Everyone, this is Alexandra Woods." Xavier quickly jumped in to supply. "Call me Alex," Alex insisted faintly, dropping Scott's shocked stare to glance at the floor, her eyes still wide. "What… Alex… w-what the hell?" Scott stammered.  
"Do you _know _her?" Bobby questioned, and Scott glanced at Alex. They shared a long, heavy stare before he broke away from the gaze, clenching his jaw.  
_Well, I thought I did. I_nstead, he simply blinked furiously after a long pause and nodded, his voice husky. "Yeah." An awkward silence settled across the room, as abruptly, Scott stood up and left, the door crashing heavily behind him, his eyes downcast.

"O-kaaaay," Kitty mumbled. A long, confused silence hung in the air.  
"Maybe Alex should introduce herself, and show her gift to everyone." Xavier said tensely, interrupting the silence. Logan stayed in the shadows, still observing her thoughtfully, having taken in Scott's entire outburst. "Alright. Hey, I'm Alex, I'm twenty-three, I've been studying science at college for six years, I graduated high school really early, part freaky genius or something, and yeah, I'm a mutant, and obviously… I know Scott." She managed a weak smile, meeting the Professor's encouraging gaze.

"Okay. Um, my powers…" Her voice trailed off as she simply lifted her hand, and opened her clenched fist. A ball of kinetic and elemental energy furled in her palm, a ball of flame, wrapped in a thick cocoon of blue crackling electricity, shaped like a tear-drop. "I can create that energy to wrap all over my entire body, and project it outwards, either as an attack mechanism or a sort of shield thing. It's pretty strong, the weakest I can make it causes the person who makes contact to collapse for a few seconds. When I want it to be strong… it's _really_ strong." Alex said quickly, quenching the energy from her palm hurriedly, and looking almost embarrassed. "_Coooool._" Bobby whispered to Rogue, who smiled stiffly. Storm stepped forward, a warm smile on her face. "I'm Ororo, I can control the weather," she said warmly, pulling Alex into a friendly hug. Alex, startled, quickly hugged back tentatively. Kurt stepped forward, and Alex barely blinked at his blue, carved face. "I am Kurt Wagner, I am a teleporter." Kurt, mimicking Storm, wrapped Alex in a hug, and Alex laughed softly, hugging Kurt back. "I'm Bobby," Bobby stepped forward, an eager smile on his face. "And man, your powers are the coolest!" Alex laughed good-naturedly, as Bobby held out his frozen hand to shake, and agreeably, she caused the energy to swathe around her hand, and shook. The ice melted slightly, and the energy tracks caused curling intricate patterns over the ice's surface. "Awesome," Bobby said delightedly, before letting the ice dissipate over his hand. "I'm Rogue," Rogue said quietly, smiling shyly at Alex. Alex nodded warmly, taking in the pretty girl with the unique white streaks in her dark hair. "I can absorb people's life forces, and I'm still learning how to control it." She blushed, hiding behind her hair. "The Professor will help you with that… he helped me when I couldn't control my power, and I would walk around for days with energy enveloped around my whole body, not knowing how to turn it off." She made a face at the memory. Everyone chuckled, and Logan, amused, smirked. "I'm Kitty," Kitty stepped forward eagerly, just as Bobby had done. "I walk through walls." Alex nodded, taking in the tension between Bobby, Rogue and Kitty immediately, and with curiosity. "I'm Hank McCoy," Hank stepped forward, and Alex also barely batted an eyelash as she took in his furry dark blue skin and shook his hand warmly. Warren Worthington III stepped forward, nudging Hank away with a slow approving smile. "G'day, milady, and welcome to Mutant High. Such a pretty one too… Though, at Mutant High, you won't be single for long, especially if I have anything to do with it." Alex laughed, and Logan rolled his eyes, feeling oddly protective, maybe even a bit possessive at Warren's comment. "That's Warren for you," Bobby sighed as Warren stepped away with a playful wink. Logan knew it was time for him to step out. He had never seen or met anyone like Alex before- someone who was so friendly and open to everyone, who had a welcoming smile for all despite the strange commotion between her and Scott before, whatever that was. Logan smiled wryly as he stepped out. "And I'm Logan." Alex turned, and stared at him. Logan felt himself lost in her eyes again as they stared at each other for a long moment, transfixed before Alex broke away, and stepped forward to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you." She murmured softly, and he nodded, grasping her hand. Her skin was soft and warm, and he felt a small tingle of anticipation when he touched her. She smiled at him, and he smiled back, each holding each other's hand for a split second too long, lingering before Alex hastily drew back her hand, casting her eyes to the ground. "You must be tired, do you want to rest?" Xavier asked concernedly, catching the sudden weariness that flashed in her eyes, and Alex hesitated. "Yeah, I'm just going to try and find Scott first, if that's okay." The Professor nodded, and Alex disappeared with a quick smile and a friendly good-bye to everyone, glancing at Logan briefly before disappearing.

"So, what's the deal between her and Cyclops?" Bobby finally asked the question that everyone had been dying to ask, but the Professor simply sighed and rolled away.

* * *

Alex rushed outside, her head swirling with confusion. She passed a group of little kids standing outside the room, playing games and laughing loudly, but she barely noticed. The image of Logan, staring at her with that unreadable expression in his intent eyes burned in her mind, for some reason, he intrigued her, fascinated her. There was something behind that rugged tough cocky smile, something guarded, something that screamed over a potently broken past… She glanced at her fingers, at the potent energy, which swarmed around them at her command, and shuddering at forgotten memories, she closed her eyes. She recognized that pain in Logan, it was familiar to her. _Come on, Alex. Get a grip! _She told herself firmly, sighing, as she continued her way around the school, striding out to the gardens.

Alex slipped silently down the jagged secret path through the gardens that she and Scott had discovered so many years back, when they were only teenagers. She saw him where she knew he would be, underneath a tall willowy tree, leaning against the bark and staring up into the endless blue stretch of sky. "Hey." She stepped up to him, and saw the hurt in his eyes. "What are you doing here?" Scott asked brusquely. Alex hesitated, unsure what to do. "Are you okay?" She questioned gently, and he turned, his face steely. "Now you care?" He asked bitterly. They stood in silence. "I'm sorry," She whispered, and Scott sighed, dropping his head into his hands, as she slowly slid onto the ground to sit beside him. "You don't understand how … _hard_ it was for me." He said quietly, his voice muffled. Alex sat in silence. "I'm sorry." She repeated honestly. "But… it was something I had to do." Scott lifted his head, staring at her with pleading eyes. "Can't you tell me, now at least? Can't you trust me?" He whispered. Alex hesitated visibly, looking away, pain in her eyes. "Scott, please." She said those words with so much finality, that Scott too fell silent.

"I'm not going to come back to you just like that, Alex. I don't think I ever can." Scott declared, and Alex met his eyes sadly. "I didn't come back for you, Scott." She answered softly. He nodded, meeting her gaze. "I miss you," Alex sighed. "I miss being friends with you. Can we… try that again?" Scott stared at her for the longest time, his eyes drinking in the appearance of her, before he managed a tiny nod. "Okay, we can try. But just friends." Alex nodded solemnly. "Of course. Bye, Scott." She murmured, and stood up, leaving, and Scott watched her go, a thoughtful expression on his chiselled face.

* * *

_Scott looked around nervously, seeing the crowds of mutant kids milling around, all socializing and making friends Loud babbles of laughter and cheery conversation flowed in the air, suffocating him. And here he was, by himself, a loner. A freak amongst a crowd of freaks. Touching the rim of his new sunglasses gingerly, he wondered if coming here was a mistake. Each pair of eyes he faced stared at him blankly, disregarding him, judging him._

"_I'm scared too." He turned, seeing a girl, around his age, standing there. She had brown wavy hair, warm eyes and a huge smile, and Scott immediately noticed that she was pretty. "I'm Alex." She held out her hand, and he shook it warmly, her skin was surprisingly soft to touch. "I did it," She exclaimed excitedly when he pulled back. "Controlled my powers," She added quickly, to his puzzled face expression. She demonstrated her energy-ball for him, and impressed, he nodded. "I have… laser eye beams, sort of. That's why I need these." He tapped his sunglasses shyly, and she nodded exuberantly, looking up at him with shining eyes. "That's your power? Awesome! That's so cool!" She exclaimed, and shocked, Scott looked at her in surprise. "Really?" He questioned carefully, and she nodded, grinning. "I can just tell we're going to be great friends," She sing-songed playfully, and Scott couldn't help smiling. "Me too," He added, grinning and feeling the happiest he'd felt in days. Alex smiled back at him. "We can't be friends if I don't know your name." She added, and Scott caught a whiff of her hair, sweet and fruity and tangy. "Scott Summers,_"_ He said almost shyly to this pretty, happy teenage girl who liked his powers and had declared they were going to be great friends upon the first five minutes of them meeting. "Hi Scott," She grinned. "I'm Alex Woods." Scott smiled back… and felt a bubble of anticipation for what was going to come. _

Scott sighed, turning and pressing his fist against the tree trunk, recalling his memories, his moments with the girl who had once been his. And sighing, he turned his head to look up at the sky, staring at the deep clear blue, remembering the day when he had been told someone had liked his powers, someone had first talked to him, accepted him- he girl who had just done so. The girl who had hurt him more than anyone had before. The girl who was back in his life, once again.

* * *

Alex sighed, feeling frustrated and irritable, wondering just how everything had messed up between her and Scott. She closed her eyes, hesitating in front of her bedroom, but shaking her head, she turned and headed straight for the work out room, her eyes intent and her face fierce. Even when she was younger and a student at Xavier's, she had preferred to unleash her frustrations in the work out room. Of course, back then, her problems were entirely different- but yet the same, all about Scott, really.  
_Why, why, why? _She wondered darkly, heading straight for the punching bag. She quickly sprung up on the balls of her feet, tumbling and twisting, darting and striking like a deadly strike. She was the best at agility, speed, catching people by surprise, and although she lacked in physical strength, her power pretty much made up for it. After all, why would she need the strength to knock someone to the ground when she could just touch them briefly and have it done for her?

She finally reached the punching bag, and punched fiercely. It went swinging, and she dodged out of the way agilely, punching again just as aggressively, ignoring the faint throbbing in her knuckles. As she punched, she spilled out all her frustration, annoyance and emotion, before she started to feel tiredness sink in. She glanced down at her fists, seeing the energy wrapped around her skin automatically, as she punched the springy material of the punching bag, watching in horror as a hole began to burn through the punching-bag's synthetic material. She tried to "switch off" her ability, but it refused to obey, listening only to her high strung emotional state. She sprang back, turning, and her fists ran directly into someone's chest.

A thousand thoughts ran through Alex's mind- firstly about how strong and muscular the chest was, about the fact that she was burning two massive holes through some guy's chest, and snapping it all together, she reacted. She looked up in horror to meet those familiar brown eyes, the eyes which had been preying on her mind since she had first seen them. _Logan. _"Oh no, oh no, oh no," Alex whimpered, pulling her hands back, but they had already burned two, gruesome holes right through Logan's flesh. Logan's knees buckled slightly as he fell to the ground awkwardly. Logan looked slightly shocked, as he blinked up at her, making a choked noise from the back of his throat. "Oh my God," Alex felt a familiar fear and panic devour her as she kneeled down and held onto Logan desperately, his body collapsing on hers. Alex struggled to hold him upright. "Help!" She screamed out shrilly, quenching the flames from her body immediately. Panicking, she stared into Logan's face. "Stay with me, Logan," She begged, laying him on the ground gingerly, and standing up, she began to run to the door, yelling for help. Her head was pounding. _Not again… _she begged herself, tears pricking her eyes dangerously.

"Alex," She heard Logan grunt, and turning, tears filling her eyes, she met Logan's eyes. "I'm okay." Fascinated, Alex watched as the wounds on his chest slowly closed, until there was nothing but two bloodstains left on his white singlet. He clicked his neck, giving out a tiny groan before closing his eyes for a moment, sighing. "W-what," Alex stammered, walking closer, before it sunk in. "Your ability," She murmured, and Logan nodded, standing up. "Note, don't surprise the crazy energy chick when she's in the workout room." He commented wryly. Alex laughed in heavy relief, punching Logan playfully, quickly scanning his well built, incredibly muscular body with approval before blushing and turning away. "What are you doing here anyway?" She questioned, and he shrugged. "Working out, obviously. But those plans went awry." He gestured to the two bloodstains on his shirt. Alex blushed. "Thank God you're okay," She added. He smiled cockily. "I'm fine. Never been better. And now I know you really can take danger room classes." She feigned shock. "Why, Logan, you thought I couldn't?" She teased back, aware that they were flirting. "Well, you are a girl, and a little one too," He teased right back, and suddenly in a strike of movement, she curled up around him and aimed to punch his face, but he grabbed it, swinging back so he had both of her fists in his tightly, pulling her against the nearest wall, their bodies were only inches away. "Not bad. If I used my power, you'd be on your back right now." She managed to breathe out, smelling his sweat, which was surprisingly intoxicating to her nose. "Powers count as cheating," Logan clarified huskily, and Alex smirked. "You win, I suppose." She sighed mock-defeatedly. "I do win, but what's my prize?" He murmured. "I think, I get one wish." He answered his own question, flickering his eyes to the punching bag; now charred. "Why so angry, Alex Woods?" He murmured, stepping closer to her, if that was possible. Their noses were practically brushing, as he dropped her hands, which fell to her sides, but neither person moved. Her chain of thought ceased to a stop, as the only sounds in the room was the sound of each other's soft breathing. "Scott?" Logan questioned, both lost in each other's eyes. Alex shook her head, averting her eyes. "My past." She said abruptly, receiving a quizzical look from Logan. "So you and Scott…" Logan pressed. "Scott and I… are just friends, if you can even call it that." She managed to breathe out, still painfully aware that he was right in front of her. Sexual tension crackled in the air like electricity. "Good," Logan murmured. A million thoughts rushed through her mind. His eyes trailed around every inch of her face, focusing on her full lips for a good thirty seconds, before back up to her eyes. Alex was sure she had lost the sensation of breathing in oxygen, as she scanned his beaten yet ruggedly handsome face for clues of what he was thinking. "You free tomorrow night?" Logan suddenly asked. Alex hesitated. "Yeah," She said slowly, and he grinned. "Okay. I'm taking you out." Alex blinked. "Come on, I don't even know you," She protested weakly, and Logan smiled. "I'm not as scary as I look." He assured softly, and she smiled. "I doubt that," She managed to whisper, and he smiled. "You're right," He bantered, and she smirked. "So why should I go out with you, now that we've established that you're _incredibly_ scary? Give me three good reasons… and I'll say yes." She questioned flirtatiously. He smiled slowly, deliberating to himself. Their faces were still deliriously close. "One: I won, so I get one wish. This qualifies as my wish. Two: You burned my chest off. I think I deserve a little something for that. And three: you're beautiful, and I think I like you." His voice lowered at his last reason. She smiled, as he leaned in just the tiniest bit, so their noses were just a quiver away from touching. "So. Pick you up at seven?" He enquired, and she smiled helplessly. "Done." She said, and smiling, he reluctantly turned, and pushing himself off of the wall and off of her, walked away, and dazedly, she followed him to the exit. He paused at the door, where they were about to go their separate ways. "I'll see you tomorrow then, Alex Woods." He said suggestively, smiling at her. She met his gaze. "Likewise," She answered breathlessly, as they both turned, walking away. _What am I getting myself into? _Alex wondered, shaking her head with a sigh.

It was then Alex realized Scott hadn't entered her mind once while she was with Logan.

* * *

_Review please! :)_


	3. Awake and Sleepless

_AN: Hey guys, sorry I haven't updated in forever, i've been in hospital with meningitis. (seriously, don't even ask.) but i promise to update regularly from now on.  
Anyway, so please review!_

* * *

**Chapter Three: Awake and Sleepless**

Scott was silent, staring up at his blank ceiling, a million thoughts rushing through his mind. He could only clearly pinpoint one- _Alex was back. _Scott sighed, turning and staring into the darkness. It had been at least seven years since he had least seen Alex. They had both been fourteen, and at Xavier's when they had first met, and when she had left… they had both been eighteen, still so young, so incredibly naïve. Scott sighed, shaking his head slowly. He closed his eyes fiercely, recalling the shock that poured into his body when he saw her face, that smile he knew so well. Feeling conflicted and confused, her tried urging himself to sleep it all off, and as he felt his mind slip into the unconscious, Scott felt a vague feeling that everything, _everything, _was going to change.

Logan lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. The moonlight cast strange shadows against the white paint, and as he stared at the flickering shadows, he let his mind wander. He was sleepless, wide awake, and he couldn't shake it off. He thought about his day, about Alex. An uncontrollable smile danced over his lips as he thought about Alex, about her beauty and the way she had looked at him when she had agreed to their date, the intangible chemistry and electricity in the air. He sighed, closing his eyes, wondering what he was getting himself into. He had felt something with Alex, a connection… and immediately intrigued; he'd asked her out impulsively. He knew she was a good person, and didn't want to end up hurting her. And knowing him, hurting those he cared about was going to end up being inevitable.

He frowned, his eyes still closed, remembering the pained look on Scott's face when he had left the room after seeing Alex, and wondered curiously just how the two had known each other before. Logan could've sworn he saw a moment of incredulous joy and something like love pass over Scott's face when he saw Alex, but then again, Alex's soft words danced back in his mind, _"Scott and I are just friends, if you can even call it that"._ And that comment about her past haunting her? Logan frowned, and sighed deeply, and abruptly began focusing his attention elsewhere- like how to fall asleep, for one.

Rogue lay wide awake, tears pooling in her eyes. She and Bobby's relationship was painfully strained, she knew that, and she also knew that Kitty was at the verge of taking Bobby's heart with it. She sighed deeply, wishing everything could go back to normal, when it was just a simple matter of her liking Bobby and Bobby returning those feelings.

Rogue wondered idly what lay ahead in the future, not just for her, but for the new teacher, Alex. She had seemed friendly enough, and was attractive, but most noticeably, Rogue had caught the lingering stare and handshake between her and Wolverine, and of course, Scott's dramatic reaction. Rogue frowned, and turned to her side, feeling more tears prickle her eyes as she saw the photo propped up on her bedside table, of happier times. Bobby had his arms wrapped around her, a smile on his face, and she was laughing joyously. The photo that normally never failed to cheer Rogue up had the opposite effect as she stared at the one only seemingly noticeable part of the photo… the long black gloves stretched up her arms, hiding her deadly skin from view. Blinking away tears, Rogue pushed the photo down so it lay on the table face down and turned. She shut her eyes, blocking everything out of her mind as one tear slid down her cheek.

Kurt was lying in bed, and a tiny figure was wrapped up in his arms. Looking down, he inhaled her spicy, exotic scent and at her messy white hair, at her content face, and smiled, overjoyed. She was his, unbelievably. Stroking her face tenderly, he wondered for the millionth time just how he had ended up with such a beautiful and whole-hearted woman. Her head was nestled in the very crook of his neck, and he stroked her hair as he lay awake, restless. Decisively, he dropped a kiss on Ororo's peaceful face, and smiled, watching her. _I'm going to propose to her. She's going to be my wife one day, _he thought to himself, and smiling, curled back down and shut his eyes, drifting off to sleep in the arms with the person that he loved.

_He stared at her with wide, imploring eyes, his whole body trembling with laughter, and she laughed, tipping her head back. His wavy brown hair fell in his eyes, which were masked in a pair of distinctive sunglasses. He was young, about fifteen or sixteen maybe. The girl was around the same age as him, and they looked similar enough to possibly be related. Puberty had treated her nicely, and she was beginning to change from awkward teenager to beautiful young woman, and he was definitely noticing._

"_That was so funny," She managed to gasp, her eyes still sparkling. The warm after-glow of a long laugh settled over both of them as she smiled at him warmly. They'd been best friends for so long, they were completely comfortable around each other. "I love you," He laughed, and then froze, panic striking over his handsome face. Shock rippled through her body as she glanced at him, surprised. "I mean, I love being friends with you. I don't love you. I mean, I love you, but I don't love, love you-" She cut off his nervous rambling by stepping forward, and pressing her soft lips to his. His lips were warm and soft, and felt nice, tasting sweet almost. For him, the kiss was everything he could've asked for and more. "I love you too," She replied simply, and he smiled down at her, touching her face tenderly. "Really, Alex?" He asked, looking excited. She nodded, smiling. "I love you, Scott." She whispered._

Startled, Alex awoke, breathing heavily, her eyes wide, her body quivering. Closing her eyes tightly, she blinked, trying to fuse the memories out of her mind. _That was a long time ago, Alex. And things have changed; _she reprimanded herself sternly, sighing. _Especially after the way things ended._ She stared up at the ceiling, thinking about her new life, how quickly it had all changed- Scott had re-entered her life, and Logan had just entered it himself. Alex smiled, thinking of the chills she got when she was around Logan, and of the old feelings and tense emotions she first saw Scott again. He was as handsome and preppy-cut as ever, but she recognized a sadness and a cold set in his face which she had never seen before. Quite simply, he had changed, but then again, so had she. And a deep curiosity inside of her wanted to get to know this strange new Scott.

She turned, trying to close her eyes and sleep, but Logan and Scott's smiling faces danced in her mind before finally, she too, drifted into a troubled sleep.


	4. Date Night

**Chapter Four: Date Night**

Logan awoke, stretching his muscles quickly and stifling a yawn. He was exhausted, after a relatively sleepless night, but he couldn't ignore his growling stomach any longer. Feeling irritated, he began throwing on a white wife-beater singlet and a pair of jeans, with his typical tough black leather boots, and hurried downstairs, bursting into the kitchen. A few curious gazes turned his way, and some of the newer students hid their view, slightly intimidated by scary hungry wolf-man so early in the morning. Logan rolled his eyes and made a direct beeline for the Cafeteria, where the talented chef, Pierre, was dishing up different foods, serving different people and washing up, all at once. Pierre too, was a mutant, and could morph into several different versions of himself- up to 24, apparently- at once. Logan watched the littler students disappear and split as he stalked towards the chef, and grabbing the nearest plate of waffles, gave everyone a grumpy look before disappearing.

"Why so grumpy, Mr. Logan?" Pierre called out in a thick French accent, and Logan rolled his eyes, sitting down at the nearest table and chewing furiously for the next couple of seconds. "Wow, calm down, take it easy." Logan glanced up to see Alex standing there, her arms crossed, an amused smirk playing on her lips. She was dressed in a grey tank top and a pair of tight dark jeans, and looked beautiful. Logan's mood lifted the second he saw her, and he smiled appreciatively. "I'm hungry. And when I'm hungry, I eat." He replied quickly, and continued eating, only pausing to realize Alex didn't have anything to eat.

"Want some?" Tentatively, Logan pushed the plate towards Alex, who paused, ripping a tiny bit out of one pancake, chewing and grinning. Logan met her gaze as she sat down opposite him, and she kept her eyes locked on his as he continued eating furiously.

"How you liking it here?" Logan questioned between bites. Alex shrugged, taking a sip of her bottle of orange juice. Logan nodded, encouraging her to continue.

"Well, the school's beautiful, the students are friendly, the food's great, and most of the teachers are pretty friendly." Logan leaned in, smirking. "Most?" He questioned, and Alex met his gaze with one of her own. "Well, one particularly crazy one asked me out last night," She confided, smiling. "Oh yeah? Sounds crazy that he even asked the girl who could've killed him." Logan retorted playfully, and Alex laughed.

"True," She smiled. "I take that as that we're still on?" Logan questioned, standing up and gathering his empty plate. Alex met his eyes with a warm smile.

"Definitely." Logan nodded gruffly, before a small emotion of something warm, nervous excitement, danced over his face before he replaced it with his usual stern face expression. "I'll see you then, Woods." He called over his shoulder, and she laughed, watching him go. "Whatever you say, Logan," She called, and his answering chuckle made her smile.

Once he had disappeared, she leaned back and sighed. She hadn't even been there for twenty-four hours and she was flirting with a guy (who looked _more _than just fairly hot and ruggedin a white wife-beater by the way) during breakfast. Alex shook her head ruefully when a familiar figure walked through the door, catching her eye. _Scott. _A bit of humour fell from Alex's face as Scott, meeting her eyes; paused tentatively before heading over. Alex instinctively braced herself. "Hey," She said neutrally as he sat opposite her, placing down his plate. He nodded. "Hey." He responded shortly. They sat in silence for a moment, and Alex noticed Ororo, Warren and Kurt giving them curious glances from across the room. Scott was dressed conservatively as always in a dark green button shirt and light-wash jeans, his hair combed back neatly. Scott chewed in silence for a moment. "You liking it here?" He questioned slowly, and Alex fought back a smile, remembering Logan's question and her answer.

_I wonder if he knows that Logan asked me out. _She snuck a look at Scott before shrugging. _Not like it matters. _"It's good, everyone's so friendly." She answered truthfully. That morning, she had gotten to know Ororo and Kurt a bit better, taking note of just how in love they were, and even the sarcastic but loveable Warren had been incredibly friendly. Scott nodded slowly, glancing at her quickly while he finished eating.

"I'm glad you're here." Scott said finally, and standing up, left brusquely with his empty plate. Alex watched him go, the hint of a smile playing on her lips.

Bobby turned a sharp left when he saw her, standing against a wall. Smiling instantly, he headed over silently, before she opened her eyes, blinking in astonishment when she saw him there. "Kitty-cat." He greeted teasingly. Kitty rolled her eyes at his greeting, but she looked happy to see him. "Strange to see you actually leaning _against _the wall for a change." Bobby commented dryly, and Kitty smiled, shrugging. "A lot on my mind." She said carelessly. Bobby leaned in, immediately concerned. "What's up?" he questioned worriedly. _You. _She wanted to say. _Rogue. _But she didn't, of course. She just faded through the walls, as always. "Homesickness," She said instead, lying through her teeth. And Bobby believed her, as always. He nodded, slinging an arm around her shoulder, and it took all of Kitty's strength not to pull him into a romantic kiss as he touched her hand for the briefest second, and lifting it, Kitty gasped, seeing an intricate ice sculpture of a cat's face, with tiny icicles of melting whiskers and everything. "A kitty for Kitty," Bobby said, laughing. "Coming to breakfast?" Kitty lifted her shining eyes to meet Bobby's. "Of course," She laughed, cradling her 'kitty' in her palm as she followed Bobby, laughing, and completely unaware.

Completely unaware that around the corner, Rogue had witnessed the whole thing.

Ororo smiled, seeing Logan inside the work-out room, practising a floor routine busily. "What are you up to, Logan?" She asked in a friendly tone. Logan glanced up, shrugging. "Just trying to relax," He sighed. Storm nodded, heading inside. "Any plans for tonight?" She asked politely, and Logan hesitated visibly, piquing Ororo's curiosity immediately. "What _are _your plans for tonight, Logan?" She immediately asked. Logan shot Storm a look, but she ignored it. "I'm taking Alex out," He mumbled. Ororo immediately felt shocked, but struggled to suppress it. Logan noticed. "I know, big bad Wolverine asked a girl out," He sighed, but a ghost of a smile lit up his face. "You like her," Storm gasped, a smile on her face. Logan gave her a withering look. "Well of course I do," He sighed, shaking his head. "Why do you think I asked her out?" Ororo smiled, she had never seen Logan like this before, slightly uncertain. "What are you going to do?" She questioned, and Logan faltered, stopping all movement completely. He turned to look at Ororo, a helpless look on his face. "I don't know. I was hoping… maybe either you or Rogue could help me?" Ororo smiled, guiding Logan over to where there was a small set of steps, sitting down. "So, what have you got planned already?" She questioned.

Rogue knocked on Alex's door, nibbling her lip. "Come in," she heard the teacher call. Rogue slipped inside. "Hi, I'm sorry to bother you but-" Rogue froze, seeing Alex. She was standing in front of the mirror, looking nervous, dressed in a black swing skirt, a little bit above the knee, and a dressy, pretty white shirt, her hair tied up in a loose bun. She looked beautiful, and Rogue echoed her thoughts. Alex turned, a warm thank you on her face. "It's not too much?" She questioned, and Rogue shook her head. "What's it for?" Rogue questioned, and Alex smiled in the mirror. "Date." She turned, remembering that Rogue was there. "Was there anything you wanted?" She questioned, and Rogue hesitated. "I was just wondering if you could give me Danger Room sessions tomorrow. I want to shape up." She said fiercely. "I want to fight." Alarmed by Rogue's tone, Alex met her gaze warily. "Are you sure, Rogue?" She asked calmly, and Rogue nodded intently. She needed something to take her mind off of Bobby and Kitty. Alex nodded slowly. "Okay, stop by around two, is that okay?" Rogue nodded happily and stood up to leave, but paused at the door.

"You look great, Miss Woods. Scott's lucky!" She said quickly, and walked out.

"Scott?" Alex repeated, confused.

He knocked on her door, and she opened it within the first ten seconds.

_That had to be a good sign._

His breath was taken away when he saw her; she was beautiful, in a feminine skirt and shirt, a smile on her flawless face, her brown curls framing her face and tied loosely in a bun. "You look great," He complimented warmly, remembering Storm's advice. Alex beamed, shrugging. "You don't look so bad yourself." Logan was dressed in his jeans, boots, and surprisingly… a dark blue dress shirt that complimented his eyes. Logan shrugged, hiding his eyes, and Alex noted he didn't like being complimented. That was something Alex did- she'd notice little things and put them in kind of a 'character profile', in order to suss the person out.  
"Ready to go?" Logan questioned, and she nodded, smiling helplessly. "Sure thing. But… where to?" She asked curiously as Logan slipped his hand into hers, leading her quickly down the stairs. It was the first date, but his hand was soft and big, and she felt protected in his touch. Plus, the tingling chemistry in the air helped a lot, and just holding his hand felt right somehow. He inhaled her sweet, addictive scent and smiled.

There was a crowd of people downstairs, in the rec-room, all around the TV where some movie was playing. Bravely, Logan squeezed Alex's tiny soft hand tighter and brushed past as quickly as possible. But naturally, they didn't go unseen. "Logan?" It was Rogue's shocked voice as the pair retreated back into the rec-room to many pairs of shocked eyes, that all travelled from Logan's strangely nice attire, to how beautiful Alex looked (and with Logan of all people, too) to them together, and lastly… to their entwined hands. Kurt, Bobby, Kitty, Rogue, Hank, Warren, a few students… and of course Ororo, who simply looked smug. "You're going out… together?" Kitty asked in slight disbelief. Alex blushed. "_Why_?" Bobby asked Alex, and Logan shot him a warning look, which shut Bobby up at once. "Okay, we're going. Standing here like this has been fun, but we've got better things to do." Logan said gruffly, all but dragging Alex away, who smiled apologetically at everyone before the loud banging of a door being closed was echoed behind them. "Weird," Warren commented aloud. "Very," Hank agreed. "But I think the idea of _them _could work quite well. She would be a good influence on him." He added thoughtfully.

Scott stood in the shadows of the room, feeling a mix of emotions at seeing the guy he hated and the girl…_ Scott couldn't finish that sentence. _He wouldn't. His face steely, he turned and walked away.

Nervously, Alex walked outside, pausing when she saw the heavy, big motorcycle waiting for them. "You don't mind, do you?" Logan asked anxiously, seeing the look of surprise on her face, and she turned to face him, her eyes sparkling. "I've _always _wanted to go on one!" She said excitedly, and Logan smiled, relieved. _Typical, _she thought to herself giddily as he grabbed the nearest helmet, walking closer and strapping it on her head firmly, brushing a strand of hair out of her eyes. He stared into her face, and she felt her heartbeat pound in her chest, her nerves fluttery, until he smiled, touched her cheek briefly and turned, sitting on the bike, leaving Alex completely breathless. "Don't you need one?" She managed to ask quickly, and Logan simply laughed. "I think I'll be alright," He replied as she gingerly stepped up behind him, linking her arms loosely around his muscular, broad waist. "Hold on tight." He said almost warningly, and Alex happily obliged, pressing her body closer to his and enjoying the feel of that as the bike revved up.

They begin soaring down the driveway, the wind whipping Alex's face, tears springing in her eyes, but she ignored all the little negative factors and enjoyed the exhilaration rush she was experiencing. She hugged Logan closer, a smile spreading across her face as she breathed in, smelling the spicy scent of guy, leather and _Logan _all mixed in one.

Almost too quickly, Logan slowly pulled up outside a small diner, helping her down, and Alex, smiling, watched as he led the way, clutching her hand carefully. Inside, it was homely, sweet, casual- almost like a cottage, and inside, it was mostly empty. Alex's eyes travelled to the red-checker cloth tables and the candlelit room, hopelessly romantic, to the present bar in the corner, where a couple of more rustic men and women were drinking happily. _A little something for us both, I guess, _she thought ruefully, beaming as Logan led them to a small table in the corner.

"Two beers." He said huskily to the waiter, and they both placed their dinner orders. The waiter, a chiselled good looking man, very Brad Pitt, nodded and disappeared. Logan turned, glancing at Alex. "So. What's there to know about Alex Woods?" He questioned, a little smile on his face. Alex shrugged, a tiny grin toying on her lips. "I'm more interested in getting to know _you, _Logan." Alex said almost hopefully. "I'm not that interesting." Logan said dismissively. _Yeah right. _Alex thought to herself. Logan began firing questions at her- some serious, '_How did you react to your powers when you first got them?', _or, _'Do you ever wish things were different with our mutations?, _some more silly and ineffectual, '_What's your favourite colour?'_ Alex had answered what had to be thousands of questions, some serious and some funny, before realizing she was the one who had been doing the most talking. "What about you, Logan?" She asked, settling back in her seat. "What about me?" Alex smiled. "What are some things about you? Things no-one knows." Logan's ready smile faltered slightly, but he shrugged. "Ask away." Alex began asking a series of questions, but she quickly noticed a pattern- any deep questions, and he'd quickly and swiftly avoid them, or make a joke out of them. For instance, _How old are you? How did you react to your powers?_ Logan would swiftly reply, "Guess," And he'd wink before changing the topic smoothly. Alex couldn't help but wonder what he was hiding.

"Favourite thing to do?" Alex asked, and Logan glanced at her, his eyes sparkling. "Go to dinner with beautiful women," He said, lowering his voice, and Alex blushed. "Do you do that a lot, Logan?" She questioned flirtatiously, touching his strong forearm across the table briefly. He smirked. "Not really. I'm notoriously picky." He said confidingly, smiling at Alex, who smiled back. The waiter appeared, settling down the plates and drinks with a queasy smile, directed at Alex. Logan's eyes narrowed slightly, seeing the leer the waiter gave Alex before disappearing. "Yum! This looks absolutely _delicious,_" Alex gushed, tucking into the meal. Logan watched her eat, the way she carefully speared each individual pasta shell and popped it into her glossy mouth, chewing experimentally and grinning happily at the homely taste. Amused, taking a long deep sip of his beer, he took a bite of his hamburger, watching as she gingerly lifted the cold glass to her lips and drank, struggling to hide her bubbling coughing and spluttering, forcing a tough smile. "Delicious," She stammered, and Logan laughed helplessly, glancing at the ground, still grinning. "Okay, I've never really had a beer before," Alex confessed sheepishly, and Logan smiled, lifting his eyes to meet hers. "It's okay. I should've asked… but that was way too funny to pass up." He laughed, chuckling. Alex rolled her eyes, giggling. Logan sobered, watching her intently, like he always did, as he continued to eat the rest of his meal, smiling at Alex, and she smiled back, the candlelight casting a dim glow on both of their happy faces.

When they had finished their meals, Logan paid and excused himself to the bathroom. Alex waited patiently at their table, playing with the candle, secretly lighting it with her energy-fuelled fingertips, when the waiter approached. "Hey, pretty lady." He drawled. Under different circumstances, Alex might've even said he was attractive, but now, she was completely disgusted. "What's up with you?" He leered, leaning closer until his hot clammy breath washed over her face. Shuddering, Alex tried to turn her head. "I'm…" She stammered, but his arm clenched tightly around hers, holding her locked in place. "Don't move one lil bit, gorgeous." He muttered, planting a series of wet, slimy kisses down her neck. "Let _go _of me," Alex muttered angrily, coldly, but he ignored her. Alex squirmed desperately, reminding herself that if she sent energy across her body, the guy would most likely die or at least be badly injured. _Although that wasn't such a bad idea right now. _"Let go of me, or I swear to God I will hurt you." She snarled, struggling in earnest now, and he grinned. "No."

That was when he went flying through the air.

Shocked, Alex straightened, her hair messy and her eyes slightly frightened, when she saw Logan standing behind him, an angry glare on his face. "She's with me," He snarled, as the waiter straightened, a nasty smile on his face. "Really? No ring on her finger… looks like fair play to me." He sing-songed in a nasally voice, walking over to Alex purposefully and pushing her down on the booth. "Get your hands off of me," Alex said in an icy, demanding voice, but he simply rested all of his heavy weight on her. That was when Logan marched up, his eyes dark and furious. Alex stared at his face, slightly scared by the anger written all over it. "Let. Go. Of. Her." He managed to say calmly, but the waiter simply met his eyes, as Alex shivered. That was when Logan suddenly lifted his fist, and long, metallic claws came shooting out from between his knuckles, piercing through the flesh. The claws glinted in the light, the sharp points just barely pressing against the waiter's fleshy throat. He made a shocked choking noise. Alex's eyes widened in shock. "I said, let go of her." Logan said dangerously, and hurriedly, the waiter dropped hold of Alex, as Logan's claws slowly retracted, the skin underneath buckling together. Fearfully, the waiter scrambled to the ground, terrified. "You freak!" he screamed, and Alex was aware of everyone in the restaurant staring at them in horror. The restaurant owner was already on the phone, most likely to the cops. Logan seemed to register this fact too, as he, leaning down, hoisted Alex up suddenly with one strong arm. "We're going." He said shortly, and Alex followed silently as they rushed out, and as they reached Logan's motorbike. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air, before tentatively, Alex broke that. "Another ability?" She questioned, and Logan turned, his face unreadable. "Yes." He said bluntly, grabbing the helmet and strapping it onto Alex's head in record time. Alex got the feeling that now was not the time to press the issue. _No hair brushing or cheek caressing now, _Alex thought ruefully, as Logan met her slightly confused gaze, his eyes dark and stormy.

"Look, are you okay?" Alex asked, sighing. Logan turned on her, his eyes annoyed. "It's none of your business!" He rose his voice, and he saw the hurt in her eyes. He looked at the ground awkwardly before looking back up at her, completely apologetic. "I'm sorry. I'm… I'm an asshole. That guy… he just really pissed me off. The way he was looking at you… Why didn't you use your powers?" He muttered earnestly, touching Alex's face tenderly. She leaned into his touch, staring into his eyes. "Because sometimes I still lose control of it. I could've killed him or everyone in the restaurant. I try to use my powers as little as possible. I was just about to, though, before you attacked." She smiled a tiny smile, but he didn't smile back. "Why did you agree to go out with me?" He asked, sighing and shaking his head. She frowned, looking up at him. "Why wouldn't I?" She said simply. "You're… so much more than you think you are, Logan. You're sweet, and funny, and you have such a big heart. You're a good guy. I like you, a lot. You're pretty amazing." She said honestly, and he looked up to meet her eyes, his own soft. "And if you think for one minute that you're anything but-" Her rant was stopped, when Logan stepped forward, so close she stopped talking, stopped breathing, practically stopped thinking, and all she could make sense of was him. "I like you a lot too." He said intently, and his eyes lingering on her face for a second, he leaned forward, and kissed her.

The kiss was soft at first, tender and sweet, but quickly escalated in passion, and intensity. Logan's lips were surprisingly soft, and moved against hers with a deep burn and chemistry that made her desire for more. His strong hand touched the small of her back lightly, and she let her hand trail up to touch the nape of his neck, running her fingers through the base of his coarse hair. Reluctantly, she pulled away, breathing heavily. He was one hell of a good kisser, and by the look on his face, it was clear he thought the same about her. All moodiness and tension had disappeared, only leaving behind a happy glow and a hungry ache for more, and Logan leaned in, kissing her again, soft, quick, pulling away before the passion could properly kick in. "Thank you." He said simply, and climbed on the bike, and wordlessly, still dazed, Alex sat behind him, wrapping her arms firmly around his body without being told to, closing her eyes and resting her head on his back.

She didn't need to feel the adrenaline buzz from the motorbike, because she already had one.

Kitty sat outside, the cool wind whipping her face harshly, but she barely noticed, bitter tears sliding down her cheeks. Curling into a smaller ball, she wondered if she could just continue compressing herself until she became smaller and smaller and she could just sink in the ground and just stay there for the rest of eternity. Her body trembling, she felt fatigue sink in and crush her body.

"Kitty?" She turned, seeing Bobby standing there, looking concerned. He was in his pyjamas, and looked unashamedly adorable, in baggy stripy bottoms and a grey t-shirt. Kitty willed herself not to stare, and instead stared at her dirty muddy feet. She felt him sit down beside her, his knee touching hers innocently. She felt the rush she always did when she was around him. "Hey… are you okay?" She stayed silent; when she felt his fingers grasp her chin softly. As always they were a tiny bit colder than the normal, and shifting her head, she met his eyes. She shrugged, staring into his blue ones; _he was so sweet, so kind…_ "Such a good friend." She murmured aloud. Something in his eyes flickered as she blushed, realizing she had just spoken her thoughts aloud. "You're a good friend too, Kit." He replied, linking an arm around her neck, and she snuggled into his chest. "I'm just… homesick." Kitty sighed, feeling brittle again. "At home, I fit in. I had a place there. Here, I'm just the leftovers; the outsider. Everyone's got someone, Ororo and Kurt… you and Rogue." Her voice faltered on the last set of words. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air. "Me and Rogue…" Bobby said quietly, and Kitty sat up, staring at him, but Bobby paused, turning his head slightly at the sound of an engine being revved. Seconds later, a motorbike pulled in a couple of metres away from them, and Logan climbed off, Alex behind him. "Even Ms. Woods and Logan," Kitty added dryly. "I can't believe she's going out with the Wolverine." Bobby muttered, sounding slightly amused. Kitty giggled, turning to face Bobby. "Yeah, but as different as they seem, they definitely have a chemistry, and they just… I don't know, fit together well." She said softly, and realized she wasn't just talking about Logan and his new… whatever Alex was, anymore. "But what about Scott and Alex, whatever was going on there?" Bobby questioned, and Kitty knew that he wasn't talking about Scott/Alex/Logan either. Bobby met her eyes silently, when out of Kitty's peripheral vision, she saw a movement, and turning suddenly, her body tensed, alert. "Who's there?" She hissed loudly, and a small girl tumbled out from behind a bush. "I don't know, I'm new, and I didn't know where to go, I'm sorry," She wailed, and immediately concerned, Kitty held out her arms as the little girl walked over. "What's your name, sweetie?" Kitty asked softly. "Alice Watts," She wailed, and Kitty sighed, shaking her head. "Let's get you back to bed," She cooed, and holding Alice's hand, mouthed a good-bye to Bobby, remains of their brief talk lingering in her mind.

Bobby watched her go, seeing the little girl turn, meeting his eyes for a second, her eyes flashing a deep gold, and frowning, Bobby shook his head. _You're going crazy! _He told himself, and shaking his head, he turned and left.

Logan slowly pulled into the mansion. He could feel her small, soft body pressed against his, and he smiled at her touch. He had been certain that when he had gone all 'Wolverine' inside the restaurant; that he would've lost everything with Alex, but she had simply accepted him, and not pressed the issue- even when he had yelled at her.

She was pretty amazing.

_And one hell of a hot kisser, _Logan thought, smiling as he recalled the kiss, turning off the bike completely. He stayed sitting there, before reluctantly standing up, as Alex loosened her hold on him. He carefully turned, unbuckling the helmet slowly from her head, and her eyes stayed locked on his, something burning in her eyes as he removed it, putting it back in it's compartment, turning back to look at her. He stood up, off the bike, and helped her down, holding her hands tightly in his. "I had a really good time, Logan." She said softly, and he nodded, staring down at her. "So did I." He replied, and smiled. "I don't think I'll be going back to that restaurant anytime soon," He joked lamely in a lowered voice, but there was no laughter, as she leaned forward and kissed him again.

Logan felt fiery and passionate as her lips touched his, so soft and sweet tasting, and his hands immediately went around the curve of her back, and he held her body tight to his. The kiss ended too soon, their faces hovering inches away from each other, before he nestled his head in the crook of her shoulder, and they hugged tightly. He inhaled her sweet, floral scent, so uniquely hers, which he had come to like so much these past three days.

Logan felt Alex pull away almost tentatively. "Good night, Logan," She whispered, and Logan nodded, staring into her eyes for a moment. "Night, Alex." He said, and she turned, walking away. "Hey…" Logan called, and Alex paused, turning. "Yeah?" She questioned, and Logan shrugged; the hint of a smile on his face. "You free tomorrow night?" Alex smiled. "Well, I am. What did you have in mind?" She asked, stepping back towards him. Logan shrugged. "I was thinking, maybe we could hang out, watch a movie or something." She nodded, smiling up at him. "I'd like that," She managed to say breathlessly, and he grinned. "Cool. I'll talk to you tomorrow." And with that, he leaned in and pecked her cheek, letting his lips linger on her skin before turning and leaving, and Alex, watching him go, smiled and turned, heading back also, anticipation jittery in her body. She looked up, seeing something move from behind one of the curtains, and confused, she frowned, but the movement stopped quickly. "Huh," She mumbled, and shook her thoughts away- because she could've sworn that she saw Scott from underneath that curtain.


	5. Connections

**Chapter Five: Connections**

Yawning, Alex padded down the silent dark hallways, slipping into the kitchen silently. She was dressed in a white t-shirt and stripy pj bottoms. It was in the middle of the night, and Alex, who sometimes suffered insomnia, couldn't sleep.

"Hey." She turned, seeing the glowing TV in the darkness, and smiled, recognizing the face. "Hey Bobby." She walked over, sitting beside him. An overacted soap played silently on the screen, and Alex studied Bobby's confused face for a moment.

"Everything okay, Bobby?" She questioned, and Bobby shrugged. "Could be better," He said in a small voice, and knowingly, Alex smiled.

"Let me guess- Rogue and Kitty," She sighed, and Bobby glanced at her in surprise, and Alex shrugged. "Yeah." Bobby said simply, before glancing up worriedly.

"It's just… I love Rogue, I really do. But Kitty, I don't know, it's just so easy and simple with her." He sighed, raking a hand worriedly through his bristly sandy hair. Alex was silent, hugging her knees to he chest. "Just… listen to your heart." She said softly, cringing when she heard how cheesy that was. "I mean… I know that sounds stupid, but trust me, you'll know." She smiled sadly at him, and he studied her thoughtfully for a moment.

"Alex… if you don't mind me asking, what's up with you, Scott and Logan?" Alex hesitated visibly, and Bobby hastened to add, "If you don't want to tell me anything, that's cool." Alex sighed deeply. "Well… Scott and I," Alex began in a barely decipherable voice.

"It's complicated." She sighed finally, looking distant. "We both came here, we were the best of friends." She said quietly, and Bobby nodded. "Naturally, we fell in love." A wistful expression fell over Alex's face. "I really loved him. We really loved each other." There was a slight silence. "…And?" Bobby questioned, and with a sad smile, Alex turned to finally face Bobby, shrugging. "It fell apart." She said softly. "And I left." She squeezed her eyes shut, cradling her head in her arms softly.

"Alex, your fingers!" Bobby exclaimed, sounding alarmed, and Alex quickly raised her head, prizing her fingers off of her knees, wincing when she saw the deep burn marks, cooling the radiation on her fingertips immediately.

"Ugh. When I get high emotions, sometimes it's harder to control." She muttered, feeling the burn on her skin, and Bobby was stunned to see a tear sliding down her pristine cheek. "I'm sorry," He sighed, and Alex shrugged. "It's fine." She mumbled, but rested her head on Bobby's shoulder loosely for a moment, her eyes fluttering.

"But… since Logan, my mind's been more at peace." She said finally, and sat up straighter, brushing the final tears from her eyes. "He's great- claws, secrets and all." She said, unable to help the smile on her face. Bobby gave her a partly disgusted look.

"Logan? And I must ask, _why?_" He snorted, and rolling her eyes, Alex pushed him playfully. "Better than choosing between one girl who can't touch you, and one who can walk right through you- literally," She teased, and Bobby rolled his eyes, unable to help a laugh, shaking his head.

"I'm gonna try and sleep," Alex said, smiling. Bobby nodded, waving. "See you, 'Claws, secrets and all'." He mimicked, and Alex sighed dramatically. "Whatever you say. Listen to your heart," She laughed, and walked off.

She emitted a sigh in relief- finally, a friend who was just _a friend. _As she walked along the silent corridor, she paused outside the Professor's office. A light was beaming in from outside. "Professor?" She called. _Silence. _"Professor? Could you reply? I don't want to burn the door down." She called worriedly, lighting up her hand instinctively.

The doorhandle clicked open, and the professor smiled up at her. "What are you doing up, Alex?" he asked, and Alex shrugged. "Sleepless. Professor, what are you…?" She questioned, quizzical.

"Just… getting something. Good night, Alex." He said, and Alex nodded, confused as she turned, walking away. Turning back, she saw the professor watching her, and his eyes flashed gold. Blinking, she opened her eyes properly, and saw empty vacant space. _You're sleep-deprived, _she scolded herself, ignoring the suspicion inside her.

* * *

"She nearly caught me." The professor muttered into the phone, morphing quickly into her familiar skin of blue scales and red scarlet hair. "You must be careful, Mystique." Magneto's voice sighed, and Mystique rolled her eyes.

"I have them. Escape routes, every single secret passage. Xavier's timetable for the next few weeks." Mystique murmured, and Magneto smiled slowly. "Good. You know what to do." Briskly, Mystique hung up the phone; bending to delete the call from history, pausing as she bent down, frowning when she saw a tiny line amongst the floor of metal. Quickly, she jumped down, running her finger loosely along the line, finding a gap as she hoisted it, pulling it open harshly. Her eyes widened as she came across a box of files, dated a couple of years ago, and gingerly, she lifted them. Included was a folder of ex-Xavier students gone corrupt, all locked in various prisons, the current locations of several powerful mutants- Gambit was one, and finally… a file. Mystique slid it open, and Alex Wood's teenage face fell out.

Confused, Mystique read the first few lines, her eyes widening as she snapped it closed, and grabbing the entire folder, she reassembled it perfectly and shook her head in disbelief, dialling as she left the room silently, morphing back into the little girl.

"We have an… advancement." She purred into the phone.

* * *

Alex sat underneath the tree, inhaling deeply. It was breakfast time, and the gardens were silent, and the gentle sound of the wind blowing through the old willow's leaves soothed her. "You always used to skip breakfast and come here." A familiar voice startled her, but she didn't even open her eyes as she recognized it instantly, recomposing herself hurriedly.

"What can I say, it holds a lot of memories." The answering silence caused her to snap her eyes open, and stare into the pair of dark sunglasses, the waves of chocolate hair.

"Hey Scott." She said softly, and he managed a tight smile, sitting beside her. They sat in companionable quiet for a moment. "So, Logan, huh?" Scott finally asked in an unmistakably hard voice. Alex struggled to hide her surprise. "Yeah." She said quietly, running her fingers through the dirt, revelling in how the intense kinetic energy didn't affect it at all. "He really likes you. And I'm not sure if that's a good thing." Scott said almost disapprovingly, and Alex looked up, her eyes almost weary.

"Scott, I… don't know. Logan and I… it's complicated, and-" He interrupted softly. "Alex. I'm telling you this because I care about you- as a friend. And I don't want to see you get hurt." Alex's face softened, and she smiled. "You always were my best friend." She replied finally, nudging Scott lightly, and he smiled. "You were mine too." He said quietly.

"I've missed this. Us. Just hanging out." Alex sighed honestly, and Scott turned to face her, a tiny smile on his normally hard face. "Me too." He replied simply.

* * *

Logan chewed thoughtfully on his bagel, wondering where Alex was. He hadn't seen her since last night, and he couldn't resist the smile on his face when he thought about it. "Logan! How was it?" He glanced up as Storm settled beside him, and he shrugged, struggling to fight the smile.

"You loved it," Storm accused, and Logan gave her a look. "Storm, I don't know what you're talking about, you crazy white-haired woman, you." Storm rolled her eyes. "Kurt's waiting," Logan added, and Storm followed his gaze, a blissful smile on her lips when she spotted him.

"It's almost sickening how much you love each other," Logan commented, and Storm smirked. "It's almost sickening how you don't seem to have the capability to love," She retorted teasingly, and Logan rolled his eyes. "Apparently my capability to kiss isn't sickening." He commented slyly, and Storm's eyebrows rose.

"So you kissed Alex?" Logan shrugged secretly. "It was a very good date, that's all I'm saying." He said simply, and Storm's eyes widened. "Could it be that there's a Mrs Wolverine on the horizon?" She questioned, and Logan frowned. "Just go with Kurt," He muttered, smiling, and grinning, Storm nodded and dashed away, greeting Kurt with a kiss.

Logan looked over the dining hall with a bemused smile, spotting Rogue sitting by herself. Kitty and Bobby were heading over, talking and laughing as they sat at Rogue's table, and the tension over there was undeniably noticeable. Logan frowned, wondering what was going on with Rogue these days. He paused, before shrugging- he would find out later, he had a mission at the moment- he had to find Alex.

* * *

Alex stood up gingerly, brushing the dirt off of her shorts, with an easygoing smile. "I have to go, Scott, I'm teaching in half an hour. I'll… talk to you later?" She offered a hopeful smile, and Scott nodded. "I'll see you, Lex." The use of his former nickname brought a tiny smile to Alex's lips. "Back at you, Scotty." She murmured as she turned, a shy smile on her face, as she headed back to her room, through the jagged secret path, curving behind a bank of trees in the academy.

She slipped up the stairs, offering smiles and welcomes for the students who greeted her, when she was stopped by a hand at the top of the stairwell. "Hey, missed you at breakfast. I've been looking for you everywhere. Where were you?" Alex's smile widened as her eyes met with Logan's intent ones.

"Hey, Claws." She smirked. "I've been around." She smiled mysteriously, tugging Logan by his sleeve of his long-sleeve rusty red shirt and leading him around to the upper hallway, which was mostly vacated except for the rare student scurrying along. She gave him a quick once-over, concluding that he looked pretty good, as always.

"So, last night was fun." She smiled, and he smiled back, slipping his hands into hers easily. It surprised Alex at how comfortable that one movement felt, and how relaxed they were with each other. _What is this turning into? _She wondered vaguely, hardly able to concentrate as Logan brushing his free hand against her cheek tenderly, sending nervous tingles up her body.

"It was," He said huskily, leaning in. "Just like tonight will be." He managed a slow, sexy grin, and Alex shivered with delight as they gravitated towards the wall, Alex's back against it. "If you say so," She managed to reply flirtatiously before his lips met with hers. Logan's hands rested on her hips, one of them curving around to her lower back, and her hands curled comfortably around the nape of his neck, where the skin was soft. The kiss was passionate and fiery, before a surprised gasp broke them apart. Wide-eyed, Warren stood there, looking startled and in his typical brown trench-coat.

"Alex, Logan, I'm shocked!" He said in a hushed tone. His hands flew up to his mouth dramatically. "To think you've already progressed so far in your relationship! Do I hear Mrs. Wolverine wedding bells? Or- oh dear, a young baby with claws and deadly shock-wave skin with aggressive problems and startlingly good looks?" Warren gushed. Logan rolled his eyes.

"Get the hell out of here before I clip your wings, no joke." Logan added brusquely; leaning back in to kiss Alex. Alex paused from his kiss, blushing. "Just to let you know, I don't usually do this." She stammered, and Warren smiled knowingly.

"Do what?" Logan questioned, curiosity piqued. Alex turned, aware that she had caught Logan's attention. "Kiss guys like this after the first date." She mumbled, and Warren smiled. "After only knowing them for forty-eight hours, and especially when they look like that and have claws that come out of their knuckles." He piped in, and Logan shot him a death look before refocusing back on Alex. "You don't, huh?" Logan questioned, and Alex shrugged. "Nah." She muttered, and Logan smiled. "Good. Me neither." And then he kissed her.

"Well, I for one would hope you wouldn't kiss other men like that. That would _not _be good." Warren snickered. Logan ignored him pointedly.

"You'd think a big old bad-ass like Logan would have millions of ladies, but he's too busy making sarcastic comments, polishing his claws, eating all of the food, traumatizing the younger students at Xavier and well, pursuing you, now." Logan's eyes flashed at Warren's rambling, as he heard Alex stifle a giggle. "And if you don't shut up, you can add 'beating Warren up' to that list." He retorted, and Warren raised his eyebrows.

"Do you really polish your claws, Logan?" Alex laughed. "Oh yes, every night, while he practices how to scare everyone and flirt with you efficiently." Warren interrupted, as Logan turned, looking pissed off. Warren backed away dramatically. "Oh my, Logan, please don't eat me!" He wailed, and smirking, winked at Alex before disappearing down the stairs. Alex laughed, seeing the annoyed look on Logan's face. "That guy always puts me in the worst moods, and he knows it." He snarled, and Alex smiled thoughtfully.

"I know something that can put you out of that mood…" She leaned in and kissed him tenderly, pulling back to study his face. He was smiling. "Definitely." He laughed, and kissed her again. "Oh my God." Alex pulled away suddenly, her eyes wide in panic. "I only have ten minutes!" She broke away from Logan, tearing down the stairs.

"I'll meet you for lunch, I'm so sorry but I can't be late for teaching!" She paused for a split second, shooting him a soft smile. "Bye." And with that, she had disappeared. Logan smiled, looking at the floor. God, Alex was great. She was funny, sweet, smart, gorgeous. And one hell of a kisser.

Logan tilted his head slightly, seeing Scott strolling across the gardens below, and frowned. _We're just friends, if you can even call it that. _He recalled Alex's adamant words, and decided to question her about Scott later.


	6. A Different Kind of Danger

_AN: Hey everyone, sorry about the lack of linebreaks in the last chapter, I've gone back and edited that. But please read and review._

* * *

**Chapter Six: A Different Kind of Danger in the Danger Room**

"Logan!" Alex dashed down the stairs, looking harassed and stressed.

"I'm so sorry. But I have to cancel tonight, Ororo's sick, a mild cold, which sucks, maybe we should take her some soup and vitamins or something later- oh, and I have to take Danger Room, and I've never done it by myself before, what if something goes wrong-" He frowned, holding her shoulders.

"Calm down, Alex." He said gently, and she sighed, breathing deeply. "Okay. Calming," She laughed, leaning forward.

"Reschedule?" She questioned, and he smiled. "Definitely." Leaning in, he kissed her, and she smiled, leaning into the warm embrace before breaking it off.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go drop something off with Bobby." She kissed Logan's cheek, when Logan suddenly grabbed her forearm, his eyes furrowing, fixated on her knees.

"What happened?" He asked in a low voice, and her eyes flickered to the dark welts on her skin and flushed.

"Nothing, Logan. I just… lost control of my ability for a sec." Logan frowned. "Be careful, okay?" He said huskily. She nodded and managed a warm smile and disappeared in a blur, leaving Logan standing there, a perplexed expression on his face as an idea came into his head.

Alex smiled at everyone, quickly slicking her waves of hair into a tight high ponytail, a determined look in her eyes.

* * *

"Is everyone here?" She questioned in an orderly voice, her eyes scanning the crowd. Bobby, Kitty, Rogue and Tim all smiled back at her.

"…Not quite." Alex looked up, surprised when she saw Logan walking over, a smirk on his lips. Alex blinked, briefly stunned before recovering.

"Logan?" She asked, looking uncertain as he walked over. "Okay. So are we all going to get changed into our leather get-ups?" He barked to the crowd, who all nodded hastily, and rapidly disappeared. "Wh-wh," Alex stammered, before Logan stepped towards her, pressing one finger softly to her full lips.

"I wanted to spend tonight with you." He said in a hushed, truthful voice, and leaning forward, replaced his finger with his lips for a moment, before pulling back, an impish grin on his lips. "Well, that and I wanted to see if you really could handle being a part of the X-Men, I mean, you look pretty fragile…" With that, Alex punched him, as Logan laughed, and shrugging, also left to get changed.

* * *

Logan's eyes widened when he stepped back into the training room and he saw her. Alex was standing, talking in a businesslike-tone to her students, looking serious. And clad in leather. The leather suit, with it's newly made streaks of silver up the side, fit her like a glove, tight and sexy, and her curves were encased in the suit like perfection. Logan swallowed hard, gaining control of his legs as he walked over slowly.

Alex's eyes lifted, meeting his. "Okay, ready to begin?" She asked quickly, as the room dissipated, dissolving into a chaotic fiery scene, with burning twisted metal. Logan could practically smell the pungent scent of burning flesh matching with the scene, but kept his eyes locked on Alex, immediately preparing himself for protecting her at all costs.

"Guys, this exercise is designed for your self defence. Logan will be the enemy, so you can attack or stay away from him okay?" At the murmurs of approval, Alex smiled and winked at Logan. Logan cracked his knuckles slowly. _This would be fun._

Amy crept past Tim, dodging as smoothly and slyly as a slinking midnight shadow, going unnoticed by Logan, by everyone… until she felt a tap on her shoulder, a cool breeze on her neck. She whipped around seconds too late to face Bobby, who had his iced hand out, a grin on his face, and she jumped on the ground, rolling smoothly and kicking out so he fell to the ground with the beginnings of a yelp, and hurriedly she wrapped a hand around his mouth and lifted him up so he didn't get hurt.

"Ah, and the student cannot overcome the master," She said wisely, and Bobby laughed, giving up in defeat. "Guess so," He grinned, and with a sly wink, Amy turned and darted off.

Logan had already attacked every student a few times, some of his attacks evaded and some not. His eyes scanned the room expertly, dodging a fiery mass of burning metal when he spotted Alex standing beside a car alone, her expression thoughtful.

Moving stealthily and silently, he crept behind her before suddenly striking out, moving to grab her waist and flip her to the ground, when she suddenly moved, a blur of light and agility in catlike movements as she moved, punching Logan square in the face, landing a firm kick in his stomach, a strong heave to his back, causing him to stumble to the ground as she, using her knee, knocked him to the ground, all before he could blink.

But in a moment, he had flipped, grabbing her ankle so she turned, falling lithely to the ground, and he had grabbed her wrists tightly. "You'll have to fight a little harder, Woods," He breathed, as a slow smile spread over Alex's face. "Oh yeah?" She questioned seductively, when Logan felt an intense, severely unbearable searing pain in his hands, burning all the way through his flesh, before he ripped his hands off of her, grunting in pain when he felt it on his legs where his were touching hers as well, and with a slight yelp, jumped right off of her.

"Claws, I can do so much more than that," Alex laughed, lowering her lit up, glowering hand to a piece of broken metal, and Logan watched as it melted completely.

Bemused, Logan shook his head, smiling at Alex. "Maybe you can take care of yourself," He concluded, and Alex shrugged. "Maybe. Doesn't mean I don't want you to stop helping me do so, though." She murmured in a low, husky voice, leaning in to give Logan the lightest of teasing kisses before leaving Wolverine dazed and hungry for her as she suddenly whipped around and disappeared in a blur of movement, heading back to her students.

_She is amazing, _Logan thought, shaking his head.

* * *

Scott hesitated outside the danger-room door, hearing the crashing noises from inside. _Oh. _Guessing that Alex was going on by herself, he paused, wondering if his original plan of helping her with Danger Room was stupid. But just as that thought went through his head, the noise stopped and the door slid open, the room back to normal as a small group of students filtered out, in their leather X-Men suits, looking weary and tired, yet elated.

"Hey, is Al- Miss Woods in there?" Scott questioned Bobby, who gave him a slightly confused, searching look for a moment before hiding it quickly. "Yeah." Scott nodded, and after a second, entered.

"Alex, did-" He froze, seeing Logan standing there, a grin on his face as he bantered back and forth with Alex. He had never seen Logan look so unbelievably happy, a grin on his face as he talked loudly, matching Alex's answering smile. "I must say, leather suits you." He was saying, touching Alex's arms, and leaning closer as Scott entered, and Logan turned to glance at Scott, his eyes turning steely as he glanced at Alex to Scott again.

"Scott! Hey!" Scott broke his awkward anger-stare from Logan to smile at Alex, who was walking over, clad in an amazingly striking leather suit. Scott stared at her in slight surprise before shakily recovering. "Wow," He laughed awkwardly, making hand gestures to indicate to Alex's suit, and Alex managed a small smile.

"Um, thanks." She said warmly. Scott was suddenly aware of Logan's piercing stare. "I was just wondering if you wanted help with Danger-Room… guess not." He mumbled, feeling awkward. He had clearly intruded on something with Logan and Alex… _what was going on between those two anyway? _Scott frowned, recalling a memory that Logan was anti relationships and commitment.

Was Alex an exception to that rule? Or just a flirtation? Scott didn't let himself linger on those thoughts when Alex interrupted.

"Nah, last DR session for a while Scott, sorry." She smiled apologetically, and Scott shrugged, before turning, staring at Alex with a serious expression in his eyes. "See you later, Lex?" He questioned, and Alex paused, staring at him before nodding.

"Of course, Scotty." She said neutrally, and nodding, Scott turned, feeling the tension vibrating off Logan, joining what he already had buzzing around inside of him.


	7. First Fight

_AN: _So, I'm sorry about the lack of updates, unfortunately there was a mega family crisis but it's all solved, and I'll be updating as much as I can. Anyway, enjoy and PLEASE REVIEW.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: First Fight**

A tense, heavy silence hung in the air as Alex walked out of the DR, feeling Logan's moody glare on her back. Ignoring his presence, she continued walking on, feeling tiny swirls of electricity cluster up on her fingertips nervously.  
Surely enough, seconds later, she felt a big hand clamp on her shoulder and whirl her around, and warily, she stared up into Logan's furious eyes. "Alex, we need to talk." He managed to breathe out somewhat placidly, and Alex smiled angelically. "Okay, sure." Logan sighed, and stepped away from her gingerly. "It's just… I don't know. I feel like something's going on between you and Scott." Alex blinked, stunned, turning to face Logan sharply.  
"_What?_" she repeated. Logan shrugged, looking defiant. "I can sense something. What other reasons are there for him to defy his normal anti-social self and make an excuse to talk to you all the time? And for his reaction when you first came?" Alex paused visibly, her eyes dark. "Logan. I swear; there is nothing going on between Scott and I, at least not that way. Okay? We're just friends. We were best friends in high school." Each word was bitter and indicated to something more in her story, causing Logan's next words to slip out.

"Tell me the _whole_ story of you and Scott. Now." Alex froze, staring at Logan. "No." She said shortly, turning. Logan frowned, his eyes flashing. "Tell me. What's so bad that you can't tell me, huh?" Alex sighed, looking up, her eyes glimmering with almost-tears. "No, Logan. I can't tell you. And I won't." Logan frowned darkly, shaking his head. "Tell. Me." He growled, and Alex stared back just as stubbornly.

"Logan, please. Just… let it drop; okay?" Logan shook his head tersely. "I can't." He said curtly. Alex sighed, tears forming in her eyes. "Logan. _Please. _I really, _really _don't want to talk about it. Can't you just be a good boyfriend and accept that for right now?" She froze, realizing what she had just said, and turning, her eyes widening slightly in horror, she scanned the also slightly shocked expression on Logan's face. "I mean, I mean, I- I-" Logan cut her off, his eyes shadowy.

"Alex. I don't know what you think our relationship status is, but it's not… not _that._" A look of almost horror darted over his face, and hurt, Alex took a tiny step back. "… So what are we doing then, Logan?" She questioned dangerously. Logan didn't meet her gaze, and realization hit Alex.

"Let me guess. I was just a little play-thing for you, right? Eventually sex, making out, or whatever. Nothing serious." She hissed, and Logan met her gaze evenly.

"Why would you think we could amount to anything more if you can't even tell me anything?" He snapped, and tears bright in Alex's eyes, she reeled back. "You really feel that way?" She questioned shakily, and Logan shrugged, folding his arms tightly. A long, teary silence hung in the air before Alex reacted. "Okay. _Okay! _Fine. Don't talk to me. Don't come near me. Shouldn't be that hard for you." She growled, tears trickling down her cheeks, as she turn and fled, disappearing around the corner, leaving an aggravated Logan as he turned, punching the nearest wall sharply, the loud echoing bouncing off the walls.

Alex, blinded by her tears, rushed outside, grateful that it was relatively empty. She passed Bobby, who taking in her face; got a panicked look over his own.

"Alex! Are you okay?" He asked frantically, but Alex shook him off with a mumble of, 'Leave me alone' before running away. She managed to blurrily stumble her way down the jagged path, finding her way to the old willowy tree, crying openly as she fell to the earthy ground, leaning her body against the old bark. She rested her head in her hands, feeling weary and lifeless, and pain resonated all around her entire body. _The cool look on Logan's face when she had questioned what they were doing. Knowing now that whatever they had was never serious, it was all a big game._

But what she hated the most was that her body yearned to be back in his arms, she wanted to kiss him again. But instead, she squeezed her eyes shut and wrapped her body up in her arms, trying to block out the thought that this was such a case of déjà vu.

"Alex?" The voice was familiar, comforting, and she felt a pair of warm arms encircle her shaky shoulders. Resting into the soft embrace, she allowed herself to cry, as she opened her eyes blurrily. Scott stared down at her, his expression pure concern and worry, only making Alex cry harder as she leaned into Scott.

"What… are… you… doing… here?" Alex finally collected herself, and managed to question between gasps. "Bobby got me. And then he went to find Logan." Alex was silent, inhaling Scott's musky scent and fluttering her eyes closed. She suddenly felt incredibly tired, and sleepy. "I'm sorry, Scott." She sighed. "I loved you. I really, really did. I'm so sorry for hurting you. I'm so, so sorry." She felt Scott's arms tighten a tiny bit around her. "I'm sorry too." He said softly. Alex shifted her head, to stare at his face earnestly.

"Thank you for being here for me, Scotty." She managed to mumble sleepily, before shuffling back and dropping her head on his shoulder, already falling asleep.

"There isn't anywhere I'd rather be, Lex." Scott murmured to himself, as he watched her sleep, a soft smile lighting up his features.

Storm brushed down the halls, feeling light and bouncy and happy, when a figure stalked past. "Bobby!" She stopped him, seeing the anger written all over his face.

"What's the matter?" Bobby frowned darkly. "It's Alex. I just saw her; she's crying and distraught… I got Scott to go help her. It's Logan's fault. I knew he'd hurt her! I knew he never cared about her!" Bobby's voice rose, and Storm stopped him, pressing a cool hand to his arm. "Bobby. Go find Alex, okay? I'll take care of Logan." Bobby sighed, and calming down, nodded. "…And Bobby?" Storm questioned, as Bobby turned inquiringly.

"I know for a fact that Logan cares about Alex." With a quick smile, Storm turned and disappeared, finding Logan where she knew he'd be in only a matter of moments- in his room, a duffel bag open on his bed, as he packed to leave.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She snapped, and alarmed, Logan looked up before sighing. "I'm getting out of here." He said, but Storm paused, studying him. "You're really upset, aren't you Logan?" Logan snapped his head up, meeting her inquisitive gaze. "I can see it," She pressed. "It's Alex, isn't it?" At her name, Logan's I-Couldn't-Care-Less exterior crumbled dramatically as he flopped heavily on his bed, cradling his head in his hands as if he had a severe headache. "You have no idea, Storm." He mumbled. "I've totally ruined everything. Just like I always do." Storm sighed, and leaned against the wall opposite him. "What happened?" She questioned. There was a beat of quiet. "I wanted to know what happened between her and Scott. She said she didn't want to tell me because she didn't like talking about that. Then she accidentally called me her boyfriend. I told her there was no way we were at that stage of our relationship, and she asked me what we were doing, and if I was just playing with her. I said yes, and she left." His voice cracked, and Storm stared at him evenly. "You idiot. Why did you say that?" She sighed, and Logan sighed miserably.

"I don't know. I was so angry that she wouldn't tell me, like somehow she and Scott really did have something going on. They're so much better suited than her and me anyway! It's just… when she used the boyfriend word, I panicked. And it all kind of went downhill from there. And now… I'm leaving. She doesn't need me." He said his last words brusquely, but Storm stopped him with a firm hand and blazing eyes. "Do you want to be her boyfriend?" She asked. Logan hesitated. "I dunno… I mean… yeah." He mumbled, turning red, and Storm rolled her eyes. "Go talk to her. _Now._" She snarled, and Logan paused tentatively.

"She can do so much better than someone like me, Storm." He said simply, and Storm shot him a deathly look. "Why don't you let _her _decide that for herself?" She questioned shortly, and with that, she stalked out of the room.

Scott stared down at her docile, still face and felt a wave of serenity wash over him. Feeling her light, feathery weight in his arms, he carefully lowered her onto her neatly made bed, and touching her cheek for the briefest moment; he felt a blissful smile echo across his face.

"Alex, I love you." He sighed, and closing his eyes, he stood up and walked out of the small room, running into Logan on his way. "Watch where you're going!" Scott snapped, and turning, he spotted desperation in Logan's eyes.

"Where's Alex?" He questioned, and Scott's eyes narrowed. "I shouldn't even let you near her," He snarled, but Logan's eyes blazed as he lifted his hand, the metal claws slashing out dangerously. "You bastard, I swear to God I will kill you-" Scott rolled his eyes. "You don't scare me, you-" Their arguing was sharply interrupted by a cool voice.

"Guys. Stop it." Both men looked up, at where Alex was standing at the door, arms crossed, her face carefully guarded. Logan felt a pang of pain when he noticed the way her eyes slid carelessly over him, not even looking at him properly. "Alex, can we talk?" He heard himself ask softly, and hesitating Alex shrugged carelessly, smiling softly at Scott.

"Thanks, Scott," She murmured, as Scott frowned and walked away. Alex turned back into her room, and Logan followed her silently.

"What do you want?" Alex asked coolly, her voice trembling slightly. Logan stepped up to her at once, his eyes intent. "Alex. _Alex, _listen to me, okay?" Alex struggled against him, but finally fell weakly into his hold, her whole body collapsing against his. Logan shut his eyes, smelling her and feeling her before realizing he had to talk. "Alex, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." He murmured in her ear, and stiffening, Alex pulled away decisively. "Logan, you can't just apologize and expect everything to be the same. I don't want to just be your… _entertainment_. I'm not like that." Alex said boldly, but the way her bottom lip quivered and her eyes wavered with tears Logan knew she was hurt. _You idiot. You're so lucky to have her, to have had her at all. _Logan cursed himself. "Alex. You were never… _that _to me. You never have been, and you never will be. Don't you think… what we have is a bit deeper than that?" Alex's eyes hardened. "Don't touch me." She muttered, and struggled to get rid of his hand on her shoulder. "Alex. I… panicked when you referred to me as your boyfriend, okay?" He sighed, and Alex shot him a cool, withering look. "You think?" She asked sarcastically, but Logan ignored her. "I panicked, because I realized that I've never kind of felt like this about anyone before. And that you were returning those feelings. I mean, we're moving pretty fast, we've only known each other for what, a week? That's why it's all a bit, dizzying, kind of. Scott made me jealous. Which made me mad. And when I'm mad… I'm crazy. Crazy enough to let my girlfriend go without a fight." His voice softened at the last words, and tears glimmered in Alex's eyes as she looked up at him. "So, you didn't mean anything you said?" She asked in a strained voice, and Logan touched her cheek tenderly. "You can do so much better than me. I'm worthless. I've already made you cry, I've already caused you so much pain. I'm not even worth any of you." He said his words fiercely, but Alex interrupted harshly.

"Shut up. Don't say stuff like that." Alex growled, and Logan couldn't resist smiling at her briefly. "Alex, I'm scared shitless when I think about how I feel when I'm around you. Because I feel pretty bloody vulnerable. And I'm not used to it, okay? I'm not used to wanting to be around someone and protect them all the time. I'm not used to any of this stuff. And I'm definitely not good at it. So I'm sorry. I'm sorry for hurting you." Alex's eyes softened as she smiled at Logan, a teary but guarded smile.

"I trust you, you know. I just…" She sighed heavily, and sat against the wall. Logan sat beside her, watching her carefully. "Five years ago, Scott and I were the best of friends, closer than family, almost. And we fell in love, the kind of love that's sweet and easy and right." A ghost of a bitter smile passed over Alex's beautiful face.

"Something… happened over Christmas break. And it changed me. Scott wanted to know what happened, but I couldn't tell him, it hurt too much, and I made a promise back then, to certain people, and to myself, to not tell anyone. So we had a huge fight and ended everything. That night, I ran away, and never came back. No letters, no contact, nothing. And I missed Scott; I missed everything. I was a coward running away." Alex's voice trembled on the last words as she turned, her eyes fierce.

"I'm sorry. I really do care about you, Logan. But I can't…" Her voice trailed off, as Logan shushed her softly. "It's okay, Al." He murmured, and the use of his fond nickname weakened Alex's insides as she smiled at him. "Look, at you, being the good _boyfriend_." She said pointedly, raising her eyebrows at him when he leaned in closer.

"Wow, no panic, lies or fighting?" Alex mumbled, and Logan smirked. "Nah." He said huskily, and leaning in, he hovered inches away from her lips, staring deep into her eyes. "We're okay?" He questioned, and Alex shrugged, a smile lingering on her lips. "Yeah, we're okay." She confirmed, as Logan sealed the deal as he pressed his lips against hers, his hand reaching up to touch her face gently.

"Bobby?" Bobby paused in mid-stomp, but continued walking when he saw who it was. Rogue followed him, struggling to keep up with his enraged pace. "Bobby, what's wrong?" She begged, and Bobby stopped again, whirling around to face her. "Your little _friend_ Logan hurt Alex," He snapped, and Rogue's face paled. "What happened?" She asked, her eyes widening, and Bobby sighed heavily. "I don't know. All I know was that Alex was crying and totally beside herself. Alex doesn't deserve that." Bobby sighed loudly, facing Rogue.

"I don't even know why she's with him. It's so clear that Cyclops is crazy for her, and they would be so much _better_ together. Logan's just going to end up hurting Alex." Rogue was silent, before she looked at Bobby, her eyes spiked with tears.

"Just like you're going to end up hurting me?" She asked almost inaudibly, and confused, Bobby looked at Rogue. "Bobby. Why are you with me? I'm not stupid. I can see what's going on between you and Kitty." Bobby stared at Rogue, his eyes flashing with pain.

"Rogue, I don't-" Rogue cut him off, her eyes flashing. "Don't Bobby. Just don't. I don't want to be hurt anymore." She whispered, and sighing, she stood up. "It's over." She said quietly, and turning to leave, tears struggling down her cheeks, she fled, passing a younger, golden-eyed girl thoughtlessly, not even seeing the cold sleek smile that passed over her face.


	8. Love, Lust, Passion and Everything Else

_AN: Dearest Readers_

_I'm so sorry about my lack of posting. Long story short, I've really gone through a lot of lovelife/personal crisises in my life over the past 6 months or so, and it's really taken it's toll on me, and I completely neglected my stories. I apologize, I've written so many chapters, and I'll post them more regularly now, I promise!_

_Please read and review, it would mean the world to me._

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Love, Lust, Passion… and Everything Else**

Bobby stumbled down the hallway, in a dazed stupor.

"Rogue!" Itwas useless, only the emptiness of the mansion's corridors greeted his calls.

_Shit. _He leaned against the nearest wall, sighing deeply and closing his eyes.

_I don't want to be hurt anymore. _Rogue's pained words floated back in his mind, and Bobby sighed heavily, dropping his head in his hands. Since when had everything gotten so bad between them? Bobby was confused, to say the last; he didn't really have feelings for Kitty like Rogue assumed, did he? He felt his face numbing slightly in response to his cooling fingers, when a hand touched his shoulder gently.

"Bobby, you okay?"

He didn't have to open his eyes or lift his head to recognize that voice.

"Kitty." Bobby mumbled, lifting his head and staring thoughtfully into her face. She stared back, looking confused. "Bobby?" He leaned forward, and almost instinctively, kissed her. The kiss was soft and innocent, but fuelled by something that Bobby had never felt before. Almost by habit, Bobby pulled his head back, shortening the contact, but Kitty's hands curled up around his neck, drawing him back in. Their heads moved in sync with their lips, and all Bobby could think and feel and see was Kitty, her smell, her entire essence.

Finally, the kiss ended, and they stared at each other in slight stunned silence. "Rogue… she left," Bobby breathed, feeling something close to guilt take over him as he groaned.

"She just broke up with me and here I am, kissing you." He whispered, and Kitty smiled. "Maybe it's the right thing to do right now," She echoed, and Bobby nodded, lost in his thoughts, lost in the memory of Rogue's haunted eyes as she walked away from him.

"Bobby?" Kitty interrupted, lifting a hand to touch Bobby's cheek tenderly. "Yeah." He replied, and pushing away the feeling that he should begin looking for Rogue, he drew Kitty back in for another kiss.

* * *

"Logan." Alex breathed out, between feverish kisses. The innocent kiss had escalated quickly, as their lips collided again and again. "I have to close the door," She gasped, untangling herself from Logan reluctantly as she skittered over to the door, shutting it hurriedly and turning back to Logan, a small smile spreading over his face.

"Come here," He growled, and feeling dizzy with bliss, she fell into his hold, their lips hungrily meeting, as they collapsed onto the bed. Logan positioned himself so he was hovering on top of her, his breath warm and delicious on her face, as he dipped in, kissing her heavily. Alex responded eagerly, feeling his body sway on top of hers tantalizingly.

She felt one of his big, masculine hands trail up her side, resting on the side of her stomach before continuing on, before his strong forearm curled around her lower waist, using one arm to hold himself up over her and the other to press her hips into his, needing to feel her against every inch of his body.

Alex's heart beat faster as one of her hands curled around Logan's upper arm, as they kissed furiously, not able to get enough of each other.

Logan suddenly flinched, and Alex lifted her hand, wincing when she saw the burn already fading on Logan's skin. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Logan silenced her with a long kiss. "Logan. _Logan. _I want you," She murmured, as Logan paused in mid-kiss, staring at her thoughtfully.

Alex stared back, as Logan leaned down, brushing a strand of flyaway hair from her eyes, an affectionate smile flickering over his face as he leaned in and kissed her quickly before rolling off, sneakily readjusting himself and breathing heavily.

"Alex. You have _no idea _how much I want you." He said in a low voice. "But… I think we should wait." She looked up at him, her eyes questioning. "Al. It's just… I don't want to make a mistake, with you. We just made up after a huge fight, you know? I'm not sure if we're in a good state of mind right now."

Alex shrugged slowly, nodding as she shuffled closer to him, trailing her fingers up and down his arms.

"Who cares," She whispered teasingly, and Logan stiffened, his lips automatically searching for hers before he quickly turned his head, scowling ruefully. "Are you trying to kill me?" He commented sarcastically, and Alex laughed, as Logan opened his arms as an offering, with a slight roll of his eyes.

Alex smiled, and crawled into his embrace, resting against him silently and enjoying the moment. Logan leaned his head down slightly, feeling happier than he had in a long time, inhaling her intoxicating scent, his face perfectly devoid of emotion… except the faint giddy smile on his lips.

* * *

Kurt suddenly appeared in front of her, a tiny daisy in his dark blue mottled hands. "A beautiful flower, for a beautiful flower." Kurt pronounced carefully, and shaking her head, Ororo allowed him to tuck it behind one ear tenderly.

"We've been together for a while, way past the honeymoon period, and you're still pulling this kind of cheesy romantic gestures." She shook her head at him, struggling to hide the smile on her face. Kurt shrugged seriously.

"Why would I stop, if it makes you happy?" He asked simply, and Storm glanced at the ground, unable to stop the smile spreading on her face.

"I love you." She said instead, and smiling serenely, she leaned in to kiss him softly.

"I love you too." He added, as she leaned in for another kiss, and suddenly, he pressed one long blue finger to her lips. Confused, Kurt grinned as he bent down on one knee. Realization filled Storm's face as Kurt's long devil-pointed tail curled behind him to his pocket and around to his hands to reveal a tiny dark blue box.

Kurt opened it, revealing a small, golden band carved intricately with thousands of swirling symbols and patterns, with a sparkling diamond to top it all off. "Kurt!" Ororo gasped.

"Will you, Ororo Monroe, the love of my life, marry me?" Kurt asked humbly, and Ororo laughed, nodding furiously. "Of course I will!" She laughed, and throwing her arms around Kurt's shoulders, she kissed him forcefully, staying locked in his embrace for a good while, before pulling back and allowing Kurt to slip the ring on her left hand fourth finger. "It's beautiful." She breathed, and Kurt sighed in happiness.

"It looks so much more beautiful on you," He added, as the engaged couple kissed again, wearing matching grins.

* * *

"Yes. It's official. The day of the Nightcrawler and Storm's wedding, it's perfect." Mystique smiled slyly, and snapping the phone shut, she turned, morphing into her disguise, lifting a syringe from her back pocket and injecting it into her arm smoothly before walking away.

* * *

_Black. _That was all he was aware of as groggily, he lifted his head weakly. His entire body throbbed with pain, and lifting a hand to his head, he became faintly aware of the huge helmet encasing his head.

_Where was he?_

He struggled to remember, he recalled Alex Woods, one of his oldest and best students arriving back to the Academy. He remembered going to his office, when… it all went black.

He frowned, why hadn't he heard _thoughts _or anything that could've detected danger…?

But he didn't have a lot of time, because tiredness overwhelmed him again as he settled back down on the concrete floor, letting his eyes flutter closed yet again.

* * *

Rogue felt tears dripping down her face as she made a hurried beeline to her room. She packed swiftly, grabbing and taking various items, her hair swinging in her face. When her bag had been all packed, she turned, leaving the empty room and storming out. As she walked outside of the big house, she heard a worried voice call out after her.

"Rogue?" Surprised, Rogue turned, seeing Scott standing there hesitantly. Of all the people, Rogue would've never expected cold, hard Scott to be there before her.

"You're leaving." He stated, and Rogue shrugged. "I have to." She blinked, remembering Bobby's rant a few days earlier.

_Scott and Alex might've had something when she came back, but yet it's Logan who got the girl. And Scott's the one who has to watch and suffer through it. _

She stared at Scott, suddenly feeling empathy with the guy.

"Where ya going?" He questioned, and Rogue smiled slightly. "Home. Or something like it." She muttered.

"Aren't you gonna stop me?" She questioned curiously, and Scott shook his head, his face expressionless.

"I finished trying to stop people from leaving a long time ago." Rogue nodded, Scott frowned, and Rogue was silent, before turning and walking. She stopped, and turned back, a sad smile on her face.

"You still have a chance with Alex, you know. I've seen the way you look at her." She called, and lifting her hand in a brief goodbye, turned and walked away.

* * *

A loud knock at the door interrupted Logan and Alex, who were still in each other's arms on Alex's bed, talking softly. Or, rather, Alex was talking and Logan was listening and staring at her thoughtfully. Logan stood up, and opened the door a tiny crack. The Professor's wise eyes greeted him, and surprised, Logan opened the door wider. The Professor glanced at Alex, who was still on the bed, and smiled when she saw him. "Hi, Professor," She called, and the Professor smiled a greeting, before turning his attention back to Logan.

"We need to talk," He said, and Logan frowned. "Can't it wait? I'm kinda busy right now." He said shortly. The Professor shrugged. "Alex, do you mind if I borrow Logan for a bit?" Alex stood up slowly, walking over. "Not at all," She replied quickly, ignoring Logan's scowl, as Logan left the room, following the Professor back to his office.

By the time they had gotten there, and in complete silence, Logan turned on the Professor, his eyes annoyed. "What do you want?"

The Professor smiled. "Always so friendly." He commented dryly. Logan threw him a pointed look. "Logan. It's about you and Alex." He had caught Logan's attention.

"What about her?" He asked gruffly, folding his arms. The Professor shrugged. "I just want to make sure that whatever… is going on between you two isn't going to end badly. She for one, doesn't need that in her life." Logan frowned. "Why does everyone assume that? I'm not going to hurt Alex! I care about her!" he exclaimed loudly, and the Professor shrugged.

"No need for the volume level, Logan." He chided, ignoring the look of irritation all over Logan's face. "I just want to remind you, to think of her feelings before rushing into anything hasty." The professor said speculatively.

"Can I go now?" Logan asked, with a deep sigh, and the Professor nodded.

"Of course you can." And with that, Logan turned and left abruptly.

* * *

Alex sighed, now that Logan was gone, she could think clearly. _Scott, _she remembered, and feeling vaguely guilty, she left her bedroom, heading to Scott's small private room, knocking on the door. Silence. Awkwardly, Alex wondered where Scott could be as she trailed downstairs, seeing Bobby and Kitty crouched against a wall, kissing softly.

Alex's eyes zeroed on that public display of affection, and wondered what she'd missed.

"Hey, have you seen Scott?" She questioned awkwardly, as Bobby pulled away from Kitty, a brief flash of panic in his eyes.

"He was down in the garage with his bike." He answered distractedly. Alex nodded, and disappeared down the shadowy staircase, into the illuminated garage.

Surely enough, Scott was there, fixing something on one of the wheels of his big motorcycle. His eyebrows were creased in concentration, and he was in nothing but a pair of jeans and a neat grey V-neck t-shirt, grease smeared on his bare arms.

Alex crossed her arms, watching him for a while before walking over, propping a hand on his shoulder carefully. "Hey you."

He smiled in response. "Hey." A comfortable silence dissolved over them as Alex sat down on a nearby step.

"I remember when you first got this bike," She commented, and Scott grinned, glancing at her and stepping away from the bike, using one muscular arm to wipe away the sweat from his face.

"Yeah," he grinned, moving to sit beside her. "Seems like ages ago." He added, and Alex shrugged. "It was." She replied, and smiled in response to Scott's serious stare.

"Hey… how are you feeling?" Scott asked in a softer voice. _Ask about Logan, _he begged himself, but skilfully ignored his inner (and usually non the wiser) voices.

Alex sighed, fidgeting. "I'm good." She sighed honestly. "Logan and I made up." She continued carefully. Scott controlled the flicker of almost disappointment on his face.

"I know you don't think it's a good idea, him and me." She said quietly, but Scott shrugged silently. "I just think it's stupid. You deserve better." Scott said shortly, and awkwardness fell over them. "Hey," Alex said quickly. "You've got dirt on your cheek…"

Scott glanced at her. "Do you mind…?" She shook her head, _no, _and rubbed the spot with her thumb, her eyes squinting slightly in concentration. Scott stared at her, as she grinned.

"All gone." Her smile faded as she caught his intent stare, as his head shifted closer. Alex could suddenly smell his spicy, intoxicating Scott scent, so familiar, sensing his lips coming closer and closer…

"I-I-I've got to go," Alex suddenly stammered, and standing up, left, her heart thumping.

* * *

_REVIEW! What do you think?_


	9. Attack and Defense

**Chapter Nine: Attack… and Defence**

Rogue carefully hoisted her backpack on her shoulder, completely unaware of the bus driving away in the distance. Her previously teary red eyes sparkled with awe as she stared around at the glowing nightclubs, the fluorescent signs casting an eerie light on the dark streets. "Texas," She echoed faintly, and headed directly into the nearest casino. It was dark, with pulsing lights and heavily pumping music, and feeling slightly out of place, she tugged her gloves up around her elbows. Drunk men and provocatively dressed women lingered around the casino, and small tables full of sinister looking men caught her attention vaguely.

"I'll have a beer," She stepped up timidly to the bar and offered a tiny smile. He leered at her, and she fought the urge to shudder at his bulging pot-belly and balding head, and instead accepted the alcohol, taking a nervous sip. It was bitter and pungent, but she took a few careful drinks before holding it pointlessly in her hands. She glanced around the casino, when she saw a table hidden at the back, a few people clustered at it. And facing her, she saw him. He looked old, maybe in his late twenties, and oddly handsome. He had longish brown hair, a quirky fedora on his head, hiding his laughing feline eyes. He was mindlessly doing some fancy card tricks, and he looked so unmistakably Southern, Rogue continued to stare. And feeling someone's eyes on him, he lifted his gaze to pierce hers. Rogue felt lost in his stare, blushing before looking at the ground and leaving the casino, she had already lingered there too long for her liking.

* * *

Alex held her hand warily to her forehead, feeling dizzy and slightly sick. _What was that in there? _She shuddered, trying not to recall the moment that had passed between her and Scott.

"Alex!" Pausing, Alex managed to dredge up a weak smile at a positively beaming Ororo. "Honey, do you mind stepping into the dining room, everyone's there, I have an announcement." Her whole face was lit up, and Alex studied her glowing joy for a brief moment before nodding. "Of course. Would this news have anything to do with how happy you are?" She questioned, and Storm smiled mysteriously. "Now, where's Scott?" She began to ask, but her own question was answered by Scott briskly walking down the halls, his face drenched in worry.

"Alex-" He started, but froze when he caught sight of Storm. "Ororo, hey." His eyes stayed locked on Alex, who diverted his gaze silently.

"Hey Scott, do you mind coming to the dining room? I have an announcement," Storm repeated joyously, her apparent happiness clouding her vision of the clear tension in the air before she literally skipped down the hall, leaving Scott and Alex alone. Scott and Alex trailed behind, in utter silence. Alex could feel Scott's intent stare on her. "I'm sorry, that was…" She mumbled softly. "Nothing?" Scott questioned, his face indignant. "Don't deny it, Alex." He managed to mutter, as he swept into the dining room, Alex behind him.

Logan smiled and lifted a hand in greeting to Alex, and Alex barely managed a timid, confused smile, which received a confused frown from Logan. The whole crowd clustered in the room, all but Rogue. The gossip about her had travelled quickly, and it was universally known by now that Rogue had left. Storm walked confidently to the front, leaning into Kurt. "So… we have some news," She began authoritatively, but Kurt interrupted excitedly.

"Ve are engaged!" A stunned silence settled over the room before it burst into happy chaos, and shouts of congratulations.

"When's the wedding?" Angel questioned, and Storm smiled. "Five weeks," She announced dreamily, and the small girl Alice hid a slow smile as she watched the other unknowing X-Men excitedly discuss the upcoming wedding… all except Logan, Alex and Scott, who were lost in their own worlds.

* * *

"Alex!" The Professor rolled his way directly towards Alex, who had been strategically avoiding Logan and Scott, who had both been clearly trying to get her attention while everyone had been quickly congratulating the newly engaged couple. "If you didn't mind, there's a bit of a situation that just arose, and I need you and Angel to head over there." Alex nodded, relieved to have the distraction. "Warren will give you the details, he's already waiting by the jet." He gave Alex a knowing smile. "Sure, right away, Professor." She said quickly, and turned, leaving the room before she could be approached by either Scott or Logan.

* * *

The street was dark and empty, and she felt a slight chill of fear.

That was when a sweaty hand clamped on her forearm, and she dropped the beer bottle, hearing the glass shatter on the ground sharply. Wet lips trailed down her neck, and a stale laugh accompanied with molding breath poisoned the atmosphere. Rogue was forcibly whirled around, and came face to face with the bartender.

"You're all mine now," He snarled.

* * *

"So, what's going on?" Alex walked up to Angel, her face determined. _I'm putting Logan and Scott out of my mind tonight, _she told herself. Angel grinned at her, making no move to hide his eyes as he checked her out, in her leather suit. Alex rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm, hard. Warren laughed, gesturing to the waiting jet as they headed inside, settling into the main seats as it slowly closed up and rose from the basketball court. The jet hovered in the air before soaring through the atmosphere cleanly.

"Okay, so two mutants broke into a science incorporation and stole an energy transmission machine, and luckily one of the security guards managed to knock out one of them, and she's unconscious now. The second mutant fled, but it's believed he'll return to collect his partner." Warren explained, directing the jet neatly. "Also, the Professor thinks they're working for Magneto." Alex frowned. "Magneto?" She questioned, and Warren laughed bitterly.

"Magneto- some crazy old guy, the Professor's ex-BFF, he can control metal… and oh yeah, he's totally into mutant freedom and rights, but in the extreme. And he's always wanting to kill us X-Men." Warren supplied, and Alex blinked. "Eric Lensherr?" She questioned, and Warren turned, curious. "You know Magneto by his human name?" Alex shrugged uncomfortably. "Don't wanna talk about it," She muttered, and Warren watched her, shrugging. "Suit yourself." They flew for a few more moments in silence.

"So. Who do you really want, Scott or Logan?" He asked bluntly, and Alex hesitated, swallowing down her defensive retorts.

"I don't know," She said in a soft voice, feeling Warren's eyes on her. He opened his mouth, and Alex braced herself for whatever was going to come out- biting insults, smartass comments, or maybe even sarcastic advice. But the words that did come were nothing of the sort.

"We're here."

* * *

Rogue was pushed down onto the cold stone of the street, tears welling in her eyes as the heavy man hoisted himself on top of her, panting in her ear. "Let go of me!" She cried out, but he lifted a sweaty fist and pummelled it into her face. Pain exploded in front of her, her vision sparkling vaguely, as she felt his hands roam her body. Dizzily, she felt his hands hastily unzip her jeans, pull them down, his hands touching her bare legs.

The familiar feeling, the squelching noise, it all came to her through a haze. She could hear his frenzied pants being replaced by choking, dying gasps, as he staggered off of her, choking for breath. Faintly, a part of her mind told her she was killing him, but she was too tired, too sore to care, as she felt her energy come back to her slowly.

That was when he was ripped off of her, and she couldn't feel the invading life source anymore. Instead, she felt warm, strong slender arms lift her up so she was sitting, pulling her jeans up carefully and stroke her forehead worriedly. She managed to flutter her eyes open, and was greeted by a pair of intelligent brown eyes and a concerned face, and felt her brain go fuzzy.

"Bobby?" She breathed weakly, and everything faded to black.

* * *

Alex and Angel exited the jet, and into the abandoned Incorp. It was silent, eerie and dark, the night silent, the air frosty. "I'm going to go find the security guard and the captive," Angel murmured, and disappeared with a flap of his outstretched wings. Alex barely noticed, staring around the cold metallic walls silently.

The quiet startled her, and thoughts rushed through her head. Firstly, she was stunned that Scott of all people could forgive her, after she had left him. And secondly, that she not only had him back in her life, but she had _Logan _too_. _Logan. She smiled sadly at the thought of her boyfriend, who she really was crazy for.

"So, this is the Professor's idea of a powerful new X-Men recruit." A cold, nasty voice interrupted her thoughts, and immediately on guard, Alex turned. A surprisingly young teenage boy with slicked hair and cold reptile eyes stood there, leaning on a cabinet casually. "You don't want to fight me." Alex said evenly, and the boy laughed a cold, harsh bitter laugh. He was dressed darkly in black, and his eyes were hooded and angry.

"Is that what you think?" he laughed wickedly, and suddenly shot his hand forward, a burst of flame erupting from it. But Alex was ready, and tumbled nimbly out of the way. The boy watched her, smirking. "That the best you can do?" He asked, shooting again and again, as Alex dodged each attempt easily. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" She asked smoothly, and he laughed bitterly. "I'm surprised to see you, frankly. I mean, you're pretty hot. Too bad I'm gonna have to kill ya." He punctuated his words with bursts of flame, which Alex just barely missed. "I would've thought the old guy would send the Wolverine, at least. Or Cyclops, or Storm even. They would've given me a real fight." Alex fought back her surprise as she tumbled, missing his attacks.

"Although, I'm somewhat disappointed Bobby didn't turn up. I so want to kill that son of a bitch already." He said his words angrily, with a huge fiery burst of flame. Alex dropped like a stone, stretching on the ground and rolling, the tips of her hair singed. But she barely noticed. "Bobby? Don't you dare talk about him like that." She snarled, stepping closer and surging her own energy. She hadn't been prepared to hurt this loser, but after what he'd been saying, she was almost looking forward to it. The boy laughed, his eyes sparkling devilishly.

"I can say whatever the hell I want. After all, I was one of them." He said innocently, and shock poured through Alex's system, causing her to hesitate. A huge fiery blast rushed towards Alex, and at the last second, she brought her fists in front of her, and the energy sourced in front of her, wrapping her in a cocoon of protective energy as the flame billowed over it for a moment uselessly, before it all ended, the flame distinguishing and her energy fading out. The flame being so close to her made her body quiver, her fists strained and quivered with exhaustion. The guy was staring at her in stunned silence for a moment, before shaking his head with a smirk, and turning, breaking into a run.

Shakily, Alex straightened, and feeling weak, as she followed him.

* * *

Angel trailed down the empty corridor, finding a glowing, illuminated room. The first thing he saw was a passed out human, sprawled on the floor, and then a woman. She was sitting on a metallic table, an expression of sheer pain written on her face as she clutched at her bleeding shoulder briefly. Her eyes met Angel's, and her whole face expression hardened.

"Get the hell out, unless you wanna end up like him." She glanced at the collapsed guy, and Warren simply shrugged, unfurling his long feathery wings. Her eyes widened.

"What do you want?" She mumbled, lifting her hands warily. Angel's eyes narrowed.

"You broke in here. You work for Magento. I should kill you."

She smiled ruefully. "But, you're not." He studied her for a moment- she had roughly cut black hair and big sad eyes, she was petite and short with a slender dainty build.

"What makes you think I'm not about to?" Angel threatened, and she grinned, a playful, lively mischievous grin that captured Angel's attention immediately. "Just coz." She smirked, shrugging. "I knocked him out- tried to kill him, actually, he was the biggest bastard- and he whirled around and shot me." She met Warren's eyes evenly.

"Ya know, if my arm wasn't hurt, you would've been dead too." Warren shrugged, staring at her. "Doubt it." He said simply, and she smiled, meeting his gaze, shrugging.

"Yeah, you're way too cute to kill." She murmured, when there was a loud crash, and Angel was knocked to the side of the wall, flying through the air and collapsing to the ground briefly, paralysed with pain. Through his slanted eyes, he saw Pyro, shaking his head at him.

"You've always been weak. You all are," He sneered, as a clearly pained Alex burst in through the door. "Stop," She growled, darting towards Pyro, her glowing fists outstretched, but he ducked, slipping behind her and lighting his clenched up fist with flame. "Wanna bet?" he laughed, and drove his fist into her back, burning into her flesh as she screamed out in agony and collapsed promptly. Warren glanced weakly at the raven-haired girl, who was devoid of emotion, as if she barely noticed that Pyro was hurting Alex. With a slow laugh, Pyro grabbed the shot girl, his partner, and hoisted her onto his shoulder. "You bastard, you're gonna pay." Angel managed to gasp out, rushing over to Alex's limp side, and Pyro turned, shaking his head. "That's what you think." He laughed almost maniacally, and as they turned, Angel locked eyes with the girl, before they disappeared, and Alex's agonized screams faded to nothing as she blacked out.

* * *

A worried Logan stood tensely in the living room, Scott on the other side, looking equally as concerned. Logan was wondering what was up with Alex, knowing she had gone on a mission.

That was when the Professor opened the door.

"Professor? What's going on?" Kitty questioned anxiously.

"It's Alex. She's been hurt- badly." Logan felt fear stab inside of him, and he stood up, disappearing after the Professor, Scott behind him.

"ALEX!" Logan saw her collapsed body on one of the infirmary beds. "Alex, oh my God," Scott gasped, and rushed to her other side. Logan lifted his eyes, and shared a dark, angry look with Scott, who tenderly brushed a lock of hair away from her pained face. _Leave her alone, _Logan felt like snarling.

"What happened?" Logan barked at Warren, who had brought her in, in pure panic written all of his face as he clutched at one of his wings distractedly.

"Pyro… he burnt her back, it's bad, really bad," He stammered, and promptly passed out. Logan barely noticed, because a loud, shrill scream burst through the air, and he stared at Alex, who had screamed, her whole body shaking and shuddering, as Hank burst in, stabbing a huge injection into her arm as the shudders ceased.

"ALEX, I'M HERE!" Logan yelled, falling to the floor in anxiety. "No, no, no, please be okay," He begged, faintly aware of Scott, who had pressed himself against a wall, tears in his eyes as he stared at Alex in utter silence, the opposite of an enraged Logan, who punched the floor violently.

"She's gonna be okay. She's gonna be okay, right?" Logan attacked Hank, grabbing him. He met Logan's eyes solemnly. "I don't know Logan. I'm sorry." With his words, both Logan and Scott felt severe anguish overtake them, as Hank slowly shifted Alex's body, revealing a completely burnt off shirt, and charred, angrily burnt skin, raw pink flesh and shredded skin, and horrified, Logan dropped his head, feeling suddenly weak as he stared at Alex's still face.

"No, no, no." He moaned, as Scott leaned against the wall, fighting his angry emotions, as the rest of the X-Men watched on, tense and worried, as Alex's life hung in the balance.


End file.
